Australians broadly supportive of gender equality in the workplace

Recently, a global backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has emerged. In the US, President Trump scrapped Diversity, Equity and inclusion programs in Federal Government departments, which were designed to increase women’s participation in the workplace. Among members of the Republican party, many view these programs as a threat to merit-based hiring. They believe these type of initiatives reduce promotional opportunities for men.

However, the good news is that gender equality remains a priority for most Australian workers. The Plan Australia International Gender Compass survey, conducted among 2,408 Australians aged 16 and above, sought their views on the importance of gender equality. It found that up to 90% of Australians support gender equality in the workplace.

So, what are Australians’ attitudes to gender equality, and is there still progress to be made?

Australians show support for Gender Equality in the workplace

Many people have long believed that discussing gender equality in the workplace is taboo. However, the study revealed that three in four Australians are open to discussing gender equity and related topics at work. Only 7 per cent think discussing these topics at work is inappropriate.

Two thirds of respondents believe that men need to adjust their behaviour and attitudes so that women can have the same rights, opportunities and outcomes as men. 62% of those surveyed believe that everyone would benefit if women had access to the same opportunities as men.

A majority of those surveyed believe that men and women need to work together to address gender equality. More than 8 in 10 Australians say we need to stop pitting men and women against each other and focus on how men and women can work together to achieve equality.
Some survey respondents argue we are not currently striking the right balance in responding to gender inequality.

Do we have the balance right?

Many people believe men are shouldering too much of the load in addressing gender equality. One in three people believes that men are being discriminated against. 30% of survey respondents believed that there is currently a “war on men”. Meanwhile, the idea that we need to “stop blaming men” was deemed very convincing by one in two respondents.

Some people were dismissive of attempts to address gender equality altogether. According to the study, 19% of those surveyed describe themselves as “gender equality rejectors”.

Is there a gap between our perception and the reality?

Also of concern is that there is an increasing gap between how gender equality is perceived and the reality of lived experience. 60% of those surveyed believe that Australia has already achieved gender equality in the workplace. However, experts argue that the lack of women in leadership roles suggests this is not the case. Currently, only 22% of Australian CEOS are female. Meanwhile, 50 per cent of those surveyed believe women are treated fairly in most areas of life, including the workplace. However, the persistent gender pay gap indicates there is still a lot of work to be done. In Australia, the gender pay gap is currently sitting between 13% and 21%. This means, on average, women earn around $18,000 a year less than men. Over a lifetime, this can see the average woman earn a million dollars less than the average man.

While some people are not fully convinced, Australians’ attitudes on gender equality are largely encouraging. However, there is still work to be done to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities regardless of their gender.

The Australian Public Service makes hiring decisions based strictly on merit. So you can be sure you will be judged based on your skills and experience, not your gender.

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