Pay Disparity Between Men and Women Continues to grow, what’s the fix?

Julia Gillard’s ascension to the top job in the country has been hailed as a momentous achievement for Australian women. Whatever political persuasion you subscribe to, it’s hard to argue against the symbolism Julia Gillard’s rise represent (at least in the workplace) – that women are men’s equal, are as capable and ought to be rewarded accordingly.

Yet, the reality is a wide gap in pay continue to exist in workplaces across Australia. In fact, the gap between men and women has widen further since 2009. Here’s the latest data from the Equal Pay Day website: 

1. Full-time working women are earning 18% less than men.
2. The pay gap is higher in the private sector (21.7%) than in the public sector (12.1%)
3. The average superannuation payout to a woman is projected to be $150,000, that’s half of the average payout to a man in 2010-11
4. If things don’t change, the average 25 year old male will earn $2.4Million over the next forty years; for the average 25 year old female, that figure is just $1.5Million

It always puzzles me why there is still such a wide pay disparity between men and women in this day and age. At my old workplace Greythorn, where women outnumbered men roughly by a ratio of 3:1, there was no sniff of any disparity. In fact, my recollection is female staff (consultants) earn more than their male counterparts, for the simple reason they generate more revenue. Remuneration was largely dictated by merit, as it should be. Perhaps, the recruitment industry is an exception.

So why do you think women continues to get a raw deal? What is the situation in your organisation?