Waging war for equality. Equal pay remains an elusive goal despite years of pushing.

AUSTRALIA should implement a legislative quota system to support women in the workforce if gender equity issues are not corrected by 2014, Julie McKay, the Australian head of International Women’s Day, says.

While some progress has been made in advancing women’s equality at work, including the equal pay decision in the femaledominated social and community services sector, and the introduction of a national paid parental leave scheme, McKay says progress is too slow and the issue needs to come to a head. The National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling says women can expect to earn nearly $1 million less than men over their lifetimes. Women make up only 35 per cent of the full-time Australian workforce and about 70 per cent of the part-time workforce.

Their long-term economic security is also under threat, with women having about half the retirement savings of men because they often have part-time and casual jobs and need to take career breaks to raise children.

“Significant barriers still remain in pay equity, flexibility and shared responsibility for care giving, particularly for women with children and sole parents,” McKay says.
“The quotas target debate has become muddied by a fear tactic that you’re not going to get quality women (on staff).”
She says Australian public and private companies have set aspirational targets for the past 20 years but unless employers are made accountable for those targets, change will not be accelerated.

“Legislative quotas will be the push point. We saw in Norway that many years of aspirational targets were not working. Then leaders said every private sector firm and government agency was going to implement a quota and, after six months, attitudes changed. In Australia we’re starting to see a number of chief executives take this on as an issue they are going to personally champion.” McKay says part-time or flexible working arrangements don’t go far enough to address the complex issue of women’s engagement in the workforce.

“Part-time roles are often just full-time jobs on less money,” she says. “Workplaces are inherently designed for a model of society that (existed) 20 to 30 years ago . . .
When we talk about flexible work we talk about working four days a week or working from home, not genuine flexibility, setting meetings at times that suit women, having access to emergency childcare if someone is needed in the office.
“We have a paid parental leave scheme for the first time but that in itself gives the caring responsibility to women and the two weeks paternal leave hasn’t been implemented yet. We haven’t found a good balance.”

Advocacy groups agree that women in the workforce need to work on their confidence through mentoring programs.
Donny Walford, of women’s mentoring network Behind Closed Doors, says women need to ask for promotions, seek out mentors and pursue professional development.
Gaynor Bowers is doing an electrical apprenticeship with South Australian electricity distributor ETSA Utilities.

She participated in its Powerful Pathways for Women program, which was created to increase the number of women employed in the traditionally male-dominated electrotechnology field.

The five-month program provides women with skills and knowledge specific to the industry, such as IT and electrotechnology, and a week’s practical training so that they can get a taste for the career.
International Women’s Day is on Thursday, March 8.
Visit www.international womensday.com.au

EXPERT ADVICE FOR WOMEN
>> Look at women whom you admire and find a way to approach them. Mentors can be found everywhere, including your social group or your childcare group
>> Women are better operators of machinery and more careful when using equipment, leading to fewer accidents
>> Women are often unsure of their own abilities. Take risks because that way we prove to ourselves we can do it and we gain confidence
– Helen Besly, Rowlands
managing director

>> Start acting like an executive or a partner while you are still a manager or associate.
>> Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not if you are given a promotion. Be true to yourself and don’t act like a man. Women do business differently. We’re playing in a men’s world, yes, but we don’t have to copy them
>> Find a few hours a month to work on your professional development through mentoring groups or with work colleagues
– Donny Walford, Behind
Closed Doors