This is a step in the right direction towards equality and is one of the key points AFMW raised in the Consultation on the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality. Economic empowerment of women gives women choice.
Other big issues that require addressing are the superannuation issue and funded childcare.
Employers with 100+ workers will be required to publish gender pay gap data as new bill passes parliament [Women’s Agenda article]
The gender pay gap bill has passed through parliament today, meaning that from early 2024, the gender pay gap data of employers with 100 or more workers will be published.
The Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023 is a key reform to drive transparency and action towards closing the gender pay gap.
Australia’s national gender pay gap was last reported at 13.3 per cent in 2023, and the average weekly full-time earnings of a woman in Australia are $253.50 lower than their male counterparts.
Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher said the gender pay gap bill is a critical step to achieving women’s economic equality.
You love to see it.
Labor’s Closing the Gender Pay Gap Bill is a critical step toward in achieving women’s economic equality and it just passed the Parliament ?#auspol pic.twitter.com/uz7VZ5lt1R
— Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) March 29, 2023
“On current projections it will take another 26 years to close the gender pay gap. Women have waited long enough for the pay gap to close – this government will not let them wait another quarter of a century,” said Gallagher, adding that, in addition to this gender pay gap bill, the government is working to close the gap in other areas as well.
“In just nine months in government, we have already got cracking in other areas to progress the economic equality of women with access to cheaper childcare and the increase to 26 weeks for Paid Parental Leave; through our Industrial Relations changes; and through our investments in housing and women’s safety,” Gallagher said.
Fairness doesn’t just happen by itself. We need to work hard to make it happen.
We won’t just sit back and wait, hoping the gender pay gap closes on its own.
That’s why we passed the Closing the Gender Pay Gap Bill. pic.twitter.com/9DkaG37ngM
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 30, 2023
Going forward, gender pay gaps will be published on the Workplace Gender Equality Agency website.
by Brianna Boecker
(Source article and photo credit: https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/employers-with-100-workers-will-publish-gender-pay-gaps-as-new-bill-passes-parliament/)
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
