Australia's national gender pay gap is 21.1% on total remuneration. That's $28,356 per year that the average woman in full-time employment earns less than the average man, according to WGEA's 2024-25 Gender Equality Scorecard. The debate around this number is almost always framed as a fairness issue. Fairness is the right starting point. The commercial argument is the one that tends to stall - and it deserves more rigorous treatment than it usually gets. The gender pay gap is

The window closes on 31 May 2026. This week, all designated employers are due to lodge their three mandatory gender equality targets with WGEA - the first time any national jurisdiction has legislated employer-level target-setting of this kind and scope. The mechanics are well documented: employers choose three targets from a menu of nineteen options spanning workforce composition, remuneration, flexible working, parental leave, sexual harassment prevention, and employee cons