Women still earn less than men

QUEENSLAND women have made great strides forward in the past five years – but are still not being equally rewarded for it, a new report shows.

Women enjoy greater employment, educational and leadership opportunities than ever before, but are still paid, on average, $181 a week less than men in fulltime employment, according to Profile: Queensland Women 2009.

The State Government report, compiled by the Office for Women, reviewed and compiled a wide range of research, statistics and investigations.

It found almost half the state’s population is female and the median age is 36.9 years.
They can expect to live to 83.6 years, compared with 78.5 years for males.

As we get older, the number of women outstrips the number of men. Of those aged over 65, 53.4 per cent are women. Among those aged 90 and over, 70.5 per cent are women.

Queensland women are marrying and divorcing more than their counterparts in any states.

They are having babies later with the median age for childbirth increasing to 29.9 years. About 33 per cent of them deliver by Caesarean section – the highest rate in the country. And the fertility rate in Queensland equates to about two babies for every woman – the highest recorded in the state since 1977.

The report has found that 19.4 per cent of Queensland females were born overseas and 3.6 per cent identify themselves as indigenous.

Minister for Women Karen Struthers said the report provided many positives for Queensland women, but also highlighted areas that needed greater attention to improve equality and understanding.

The report showed women are still not well represented in senior positions in industry, particularly the highest paid and most influential jobs.

Mrs Struthers challenged young women to “think outside the box” and aim for careers that would give them better pay and conditions, such as engineering, construction and mining.

She said the report showed that many women were paid less than males in similar work and often sacrificed hours and work conditions to fit in with the needs of their families.

Between 2003 and 2008, Queensland women’s total average weekly earnings increased by 32.3 per cent.

But women earn $976.10 a week, about two-thirds of the average wage of a Queensland man, and Ms Struthers is concerned that women have significantly lower superannuation balances.

“On average, Queensland men are paid $181.20 more per week in full-time, ordinary-time earnings,” she said.

“And women still take on the majority of unpaid caring roles, often at the sacrifice of paid employment.

“Additionally, while women now occupy 36.5 per cent of Queensland Government board positions, they are still vastly under-represented as leaders in Australia’s top private companies.”

Queensland women made up 62 per cent of public servants, 35 per cent of the Government’s senior executive service and almost 35 per cent of members in the Queensland Parliament.

Women remain, however, over-represented in lower paid jobs such as teaching, childcare and nursing.

Ms Struthers said women’s health has improved in the past five years, and “life expectancy has continued to grow, and we’re tackling things like breast cancer”.

She said death rates for breast cancer and cervical cancer have dropped in recent years and the proportion of women participating in breastscreening programs has increased.

But the state’s indigenous women can expect to live 59.5 years, well below that of the rest of the population.

Queensland women are more obese than they were five years ago and heart disease and strokes remain the main killers.

Females continue to do well in education, and are more likely to complete secondary school than Queensland males.

Fewer females study technology, sciences and maths in senior school years and the dominance of females in biology and life sciences continues through to university.

Second-year Queensland University of Technology education student Kristina Pennell said women outnumber the number of men in her course.

Ms Pennell, who is studying to become a physical education and film and television high school teacher, said in one of her classes of about 20 there were only three males.

But the 19-year-old said for her, education was always her first and only choice.
“I was mainly inspired by a teacher. I got in to it because I was passionate about it and wanted to inspire students like I was inspired,” Ms Pennell said.

“The money side of things I was not too concerned about.”

But she believed it would be a good thing for the profession if more men took up teaching.