Since the 1880s, women in Australia have fought to be paid fairly for their work. Union campaigns and generations of working women have driven real progress. Yet in 2025, the gender pay gap persists across every industry. Yes, every single industry. 

The pay gap remains one of the clearest signs of deeply embedded gender inequality in workplace culture.  

Our new report, “I know I’m worth more”: Closing the gaps in women's pay and progression, the fourth in a series examining women’s experiences in male-dominated industries, shows that the gap is structural and has concrete consequences for workers and workplaces alike. 

Beyond the financial impact, it takes a toll on women’s physical and psychological health. Repeated undervaluation shapes perceptions and erodes confidence over time. 

Women are still underrepresented in leadership 

In male-dominated industries, women hold just 21% of management roles and only a quarter of governing body positions.  

From the age of 34, career paths begin to diverge: men are more likely to move into leadership positions, while women remain concentrated in non-management roles. Over time, this dynamic significantly widens income gaps across careers. 

“In 40 years of employment, I could count on one hand how many women have been my manager.” 

A female transport worker  

Nearly one in three women in our survey reported experiencing biased assessments or limited progression opportunities. 

Yet even when women reach management roles, the pay gap does not disappear.  

Women managers earn less on average than men in equivalent roles. Almost one in three women surveyed said they had difficulty receiving fair performance assessments or advancing their careers. Many reported limited promotion pathways, exclusion from decision-making, and a lack of support from managers.  

For some, the lack of opportunity is a reason to leave the industry altogether. 

The invisible weight of unpaid work 

Professional inequality is compounded by another major factor: unpaid care and domestic work. 

On average, women spend 8.8 hours per week caring for children (compared to 4.5 hours for men) and 16.2 hours on housework (compared to 9.3). As a result, women spend fewer hours in paid work: 25.7 hours per week on average, compared to 34.2 for men. This directly affects income and long-term career progression. 

Workplace structures often intensify this imbalance. Rigid rosters, limited access to overtime or shift penalties, and lack of real workplace support disproportionately affect those with caring responsibilities.  

Bias plays a central role. Women are still frequently associated with caregiving and perceived as less available or less “leadership-ready”. Even women without children can see their progression slowed by these stereotypes. Leadership roles are often shaped around implicit male norms. 

“Managers have told me that they prefer to train men because they don’t have babies.” 

A female transport worker   

According to the audit institute KPMG, improving the gendered distribution of caring responsibilities could reduce the gender pay gap by 39%. 

Our recommendations 

For employers: 

• Establish clear and transparent career progression pathways 

• Ensure equal access to training and leadership opportunities 

• Conduct regular gender pay audits and act on findings 

• Support flexible work arrangements and fund equal paid parental leave for all workers  

 
For workers: 

• Organise collectively to negotiate better pay and conditions 

• Know your workplace rights, talk to your co-workers about pay and use pay transparency tools 

• Strengthen union representation in your sector 

Gender pay inequality continues to shape women’s working lives in Australia. Securing equal pay and equal opportunity strengthens workplaces for everyone. 

We know you’re worth more!  

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