August 19 marked Equal Pay Day 2025, the symbolic day that highlights the 50 extra days women in Australia must work to earn the same average pay as men. While equal pay for equal work has been a legal requirement since 1969, the broader gender pay gap persists.
The gender pay gap refers to the average salaries of men in a workplace or sector compared to women in the same workplace or sector. It does not refer to like roles.
According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), the median gender pay gap across Australian manufacturing is 14.1%, with women significantly underrepresented in the highest-paid roles. Over 80% of the top earners in manufacturing are men, while 66% of part-time roles are held by women.
But there is a path forward.
GMC’s BIG IDEAS resources are designed to help employers in manufacturing increase gender diversity, improve retention, and promote women into leadership. These are they’re practical strategies that some of our leading organisations have implemented.
We can also look to other industries for inspiration. The Construction Industry Culture Standard, developed to address long hours, poor wellbeing, and lack of diversity in the construction industry, has shown that cultural reform is not only possible, it’s profitable:
- No increase in project costs or delays
- Significant reduction in turnover, with potential savings of $1.1 billion annually
- 32% higher participation of women
- Improved mental health and physical safety
These results show that when we design work differently, we get different, and better, outcomes.