‘Women blocked at every level of management’ gender equity data on Australian companies finds

THE first comprehensive data on how Australian companies act on key gender equity targets finds “women blocked at every level of management”.

Women’s total renumeration is almost 25 per cent less than their male colleagues. Picture: Thinkstock

WOMEN might have their feet on the lower rungs of the leadership ladder but the glass ceiling remains, with only one in four Australians working at the top three levels of management female.

The first comprehensive data set on how Australian companies fare against key gender equity targets will be released in Sydney today by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

The results are sobering.

On average, the two million women employed by Australian companies with more than 100 people, work for a total remuneration package that is 24.7 per cent less generous than what their male colleagues take home.

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Women’s total renumeration is almost 25 per cent less than their male colleagues. Picture: Thinkstock

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While women hold almost 40 per cent of positions at the lowest level of management, their representation in leadership positions drops off dramatically after that.

Women comprise just 26 per cent of key management positions, and only 17 per cent of chief executive roles.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency director Helen Conway admits the data is disturbing, but she says it is “a game changer” which will provide the first accurate baseline for Australian companies to begin to improve gender outcomes.

“It tells us that we have a problem at every level, we see women blocked at every level of management and there is a systemic issue here that requires a systemic solution,” Ms Conway told News Corp Australia.

“I do think that this is a game changer, and as disturbing as it is in some respects, it tells us what we have either factually or intuitively known in the past, but now it has rigour and it is data that people can’t really argue with,” she said.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency director Helen Conway says the data is a ‘game changer’. Picture: Supplied.

The results show a third of the companies required to report to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have no women employed in key management positions.

Women are still significantly under-represented in the mining and construction industries, and comprise only 35.8 per cent of full-time employees across all sectors.

The data also shows the gender pay gap is worst financial and insurance services where women’s total remuneration is 36 per cent less than what men earn, despite it being a female dominated industry.

The Federal Government has said it is committed to continuing gender reporting into the future but it is understood it is looking to streamline some of the categories employers have been asked to provide data on this year.