Celebrating International Women’s Day: Achieving women’s safety and equality in the workplace

Tuesday 8 March 2022 marked the 111^th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the legal, political, social and economic achievements of women.

To mark International Women’s Day, we sat down with Shannon Fentiman, the Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, to discuss the challenges women face in the workplace and how we can move the conversation forward to create positive change.

Q: What is the leading cause of gender inequality?

A: We know that women’s economic security is at the heart of gender equality. Without access to a stable, sufficient income, women are less safe and less able to participate and achieve their aspirations. Economic security is central to achieving every other aspect of gender equality, and a lack of financial independence amplifies every other barrier that prevents women from achieving gender equality.

Q: How do we improve the financial independence of women?

A: Australia’s record on gender equality is sadly going in the wrong direction. Since 2006, Australia has regressed in the World Economic Forum Global Gender Index, falling from 15th in the world to 50th in 2021. We know that women’s workforce participation is lower than men’s; they are more likely to work part-time and over-represented in lower-paid roles and industries.

The impact of the gender income gap has a cumulative effect on women throughout their life. On average, every age group of women in Queensland has lower superannuation levels, with those aged 70 years and over showing the most significant gap: 30.9%.²

We also know that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women’s economic security in several ways. Women lost their jobs in greater numbers during the pandemic. They were over-represented as casual employees, as well as being over-represented in impacted industries such as retail, accommodation and hospitality.

Addressing the gender pay gap requires supporting more women into higher paid, male-dominated industries and placing greater value on sectors where women are concentrated. It also means breaking down the traditional gender roles that contribute to women performing the largest share of unpaid caring responsibilities in the home.

Many of these issues require structural changes at the federal level, such as:

• Access to affordable childcare
• Addressing the superannuation pay gap
• A liveable level of income support payment
• Improvements to paid parental leave.

Q: What is going to drive change for gender equality in the workplace?

A: Economic opportunities must be equally available to women and girls, with a particular focus on equitable access to opportunities for cohorts of women who have experienced disadvantage or marginalisation, such as First Nations women. 

There is a range of tangible actions that can be taken in workplaces to make a real difference, including:

• Developing a focused plan for achieving and preserving pay equity as well as actively promoting equal access and uptake of flexible work arrangements, including parental leave
• Identifying and supporting a pipeline of talented women and girls into careers in male-dominated industries, including trade and technical roles
• Investing in the skills that equip women to work and thrive in all sectors.

Q: How do we ensure safe, supportive and respectful workplaces for women?

A: The 2020 Respect@Work report was a world-first national inquiry into sexual harassment in Australian workplaces. The final report has given us a roadmap of practical actions to improve workplaces across the country.

Workplace sexual harassment is prevalent and pervasive: it occurs in every industry, location, and level. It is unacceptable that here in Australia, almost two in five women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace in the past five years.

That’s why I’ve asked the Human Rights Commission, as part of the review of the Anti-Discrimination Act, to provide options for legally requiring all employers to take positive measures to eliminate sexual harassment.

Q: Can you share detail on your work to stop domestic and family violence?

A: Gendered violence takes many forms and is driven by gender inequality. Since 2015, the Queensland Government has implemented significant reforms to prevent and strengthen the response to women who have experienced domestic, family and sexual violence.

Consent and sexual education and challenging gendered stereotypes have been identified as key concerns for young Queenslanders, confirming that cultural change is vital to preventing violence in all forms. Men and boys also have an essential role in ending gendered violence.

In early 2021 I also established the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, which was tasked with looking in detail at how to address coercive control in Queensland and investigating the experiences of women and girls in the criminal justice system.

Q: Do you feel optimistic about the future for women in Australia?

A: I am very optimistic about the future. We are experiencing a time in Australia that feels like a reckoning. Over the past few years, there has been a growing chorus of voices demanding safer, more respectful, and equitable communities, workplaces, and environments for women and girls.

As Queensland’s Minister for Women, it’s clear to me that we must harness these voices and this momentum and collectively agree that gender inequality is no longer an acceptable, unquestioned part of our community.

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1. Australian Tax Office, Median superannuation account balances in 60-64 age group (including nil balances) in 2018-19, ATO Taxation Statistics 2018-19 – Individuals, Chart 12: Individuals – median super balance, by age and sex, accessed 7 March 2022.
2. Queensland Government, Consultation for a New Queensland Women’s Strategy Discussion Paper, accessed on 5 March 2022, at publications.qld.gov.au
This content is provided for information purposes only, and the opinions expressed are theirs alone and should not be taken as financial product advice. You should get professional advice before making an investment decision.