NEW DATA: GENDER PAY GAP STILL PERSISTENT IN AUSTRALIA, PARENTING AND CHILD CARE REFORMS KEY TO CHANGE

New data showing women earn 21.1% less than men for the same amount of work [1] has prompted advocates to demand bold reforms from all political parties and candidates to tackle the underlying drivers of Australia’s persistent gender pay gap.

Chief Executive of The Parenthood, Georgie Dent, said that the national gender pay gap will not be eliminated in this generation unless the pace of structural reform to address gender inequity is accelerated.

"Australia has made progress towards gender pay equity, with recent government initiatives contributing to a modest decrease in the gender pay gap.

“However, it is unacceptable that in 2025 Australian women make 21.1 percent less than men for the same amount of work.

“Government reforms including extending Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks with superannuation have contributed to narrowing the gap.

“Yet despite these meaningful steps, the rate of progress remains far too slow.

“On many policies linked directly with women’s economic outcomes such as paid parental leave and access to affordable, suitable childcare, Australia still lags behind most similar nations.

“Limited paid parental leave entitlements often force mothers out of the workforce and make pathways for re-entry scarce.

“Similarly, making early childhood education and care more accessible and affordable is also essential to addressing wage disparities.

“Which is why we’re calling on all political parties and candidates to commit to increasing paid parental leave entitlements to fifty-two weeks and introducing childcare fee caps.

“Addressing the entrenched gender pay gap requires bold reforms – and the recent declines following the implementation of key policy initiatives indicate that this approach works.

“Supporting women through better paid parental leave and childcare policies is crucial to eliminating the gender pay gap and boosting the Australian economy.

“Recent reforms including funding a wage increase for our early learning workforce, guaranteeing families three days of subsidised early learning and abolishing the punitive Activity Test, are already making a real difference.

“The next vital step is introducing a daily cap on early learning fees.

“Early learning costs remain prohibitively high for far too many families, forcing primary carers – predominantly women – to reduce their working hours or delay returning to work.

"By capping fees, we can ensure parents don't have to choose between their caregiving and professional responsibilities.

"These reforms will not only help address the gender pay gap but will also boost the overall productivity of the workforce by ensuring women's economic participation is lifted to the same level as men.

"For too long we've accepted unequal wage structures as the status quo. The evidence is clear that bold reform works, and it's time to accelerate the pace of change," Ms Dent said.