Almost half of Australian workers witness gender discrimination, new research reveals

Experts have slammed “superficial” workplace equality measures as new data reveals 45 per cent of Australians still witness gender discrimination at work.

Almost half of Australians have personally witnessed gender discrimination at work, research reveals, prompting calls for better workplace inclusion policies.

Experts are enraged that 45 per cent of workers still observe gender bias in hiring, promotions or performance evaluations and say efforts to encourage workplace diversity must go much further than “just a poster on a wall”.

Brad Krauskopf, founder and chief executive officer at Hub Australia, which conducted the research, said it was shocking that gender equity in the workplace remained a significant challenge, despite decades of initiatives to address discrimination against female workers.

Almost half of Australians have personally witnessed gender discrimination at work, research reveals, prompting calls for better workplace inclusion policies. Picture: iStock

“How can we still be talking about that level (of gender discrimination) … in 2025?” Mr Krauskopf said.

“When you open up a conversation at the moment about diversity, equity, inclusion and balance, people think you might be looking at LGBTQI or neurodiversity in the workplace.

“But we still haven’t solved gender diversity in the workplace. It’s not rocket science. There are definitely things we can do that would get immediate results.”

‘Make a stand’

Hub Australia’s research also showed more than four in five workers believe women are still not equally represented at all levels of organisations.

Similar numbers wanted stronger pay equity policies, structured mentorship opportunities and greater leadership accountability to drive measurable change.

With most Australians unwilling to work for companies that did not invest in DE&I, Mr Krauskopf said companies must commit to stronger employment policies to create a more inclusive workplace culture.

Brad Krauskopf, founder and chief executive officer at Hub Australia. Picture: Supplied

“You can’t just do a poster on a wall or put an event on (to encourage workplace gender equality),” he said, noting Hub Australia’s commitment to diversity included policies on menstrual, menopause and gender-affirming leave.

Mr Krauskopf urged those experiencing or witnessing any form of discrimination in the workplace to report it to their people and culture team and join with colleagues to initiate change.

If the discrimination persisted, workers should look for employment elsewhere, he said.

“Make a stand. Don’t accept it (discrimination),” he said.

“If your organisation is not taking care of you, leave.”

Superficial progress

Leadership coach and workplace psychologist Vanessa Vershaw said many Australians have moved away from prioritising gender workplace equality, due to “diversity fatigue” and the incorrect assumption that equality had already been achieved.

In reality, gender bias against women workers was worsening, said Ms Vershaw, citing examples of employer-initiated women-only workshops that taught pole dancing under the guise of a team-building exercise.

“The stats (on gender discrimination) will take you to a very harrowing place,” said Ms Vershaw, author of The Sisterhood Paradox.

“Exclusion (of women workers) is a big one – it’s gaslighting, white anting, slut-shaming and, in some instances, it’s moved to mobbing, where someone who is wanting (a worker) out of the way will recruit others to terrorise them to move them on.

“There’s fat-shaming as well. People think, ‘Why haven’t we moved the dial (on inclusive workplaces)?’ but a lot of what we’ve been doing is superficial and there’s not really anything tangible that has resulted in progress.”

Leadership coach and workplace psychologist Vanessa Vershaw. Picture: Supplied

Ms Vershaw said the suggestion that workers could band together to change a company’s culture was not as easy as it appeared.

“Most people will attempt to go to HR but HR isn’t always prepared or able to have those conversations (around gender equality) so it’s really hard to shift the dial,” she said.

“It comes at personal risk when you call this (discrimination) out so people have to really think about that decision and whether they want to go there.

“The only thing the employees can do is be really careful about the organisations they work for – find out what sort of policies they have around inclusion and what sort of consequences there are if there is gender bias.”

She encouraged workers to use Workplace Gender Equality Agency data and research whether companies were members of organisations such as CEOs for Gender Equity to determine their stance on gender equity.

Not taken seriously

While Aimee Dummett has never experienced gender discrimination from employers or colleagues, she has been treated poorly by clients and others she’s contacted through her work.

In her first role after finishing university, Ms Dummett said she was regularly made to feel inferior by those outside her company.

Aimee Dummett, recruitment consultant at Recruitly. Picture: Supplied

“I was working for a director in sales at a real estate agency and he was great but one thing I really did notice was when I would do his callbacks or contact clients or trades or potential buyers they often wouldn’t respond to me,” said Ms Dummett, who is now a recruitment consultant at Melbourne-based employment agency Recruitly.

“People didn’t take me seriously. There was a bit of (an attitude of), ‘She doesn’t know what she’s talking about’ and ’She’s a young girl playing a big game’.

“My boss got a very different response. People would respond a lot quicker to his email queries and phone calls – but I found it to be the opposite.”

Ms Dummett felt the situation improved over the three years she worked at the real estate agency but was unsure whether there was less gender bias or she simply got used to it.

She was appalled that gender bias was still prevalent within Australian workplaces.

“We all know it happens but (Hub Australia’s findings that) 45 per cent (of workers experience gender bias) is a really big number. I’m really shocked by that,” she said.

Not all workers are equal

• 45 per cent of Australian workers have personally witnessed gender bias in hiring, promotions or performance evaluations

• 83 per cent of workers believe women are still not equally represented at all levels of organisations

• 80 per cent of workers want stronger pay equity policies

• 85 per cent of employees say they will not work for a company that doesn’t invest in DE&I.

Source: Hub Australia.

Originally published as Almost half of Australian workers witness gender discrimination, new research reveals