A deliberate national commitment made 40 years ago to advance workplace gender equality continues to deliver progress today and provides the foundation for the work still to come.
September 3 marks 40 years since the passage of the Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986.
The landmark legislation transformed Australia's approach to workplace gender equality by requiring large employers to identify and address barriers facing women. It also established the agency now known as the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
In 1986, fewer than half of Australian women participated in the labour force. Today, the figure is close to two-thirds.
Australia has also moved from requiring employers to develop workplace policies, to collecting and publishing data and holding employers accountable for gender equality outcomes. WGEA now collects and publishes data from around 10,500 employers covering almost 5.9 million Australian employees.
Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said the commitment made in 1986 continued to support progress and evidence-based reform.
"Forty years ago, this landmark legislation recognised that achieving equality required more than good intentions. It required employers to understand the barriers facing women and take action to remove them. And it set the foundations for WGEA to emerge as a world leading institution for workplace gender equality, with a world leading dataset to drive evidence-based change," Ms Gallagher said.
"Australia has made significant progress since then, but there is still more work to do. We must continue building workplaces where women are valued equally, have the same opportunities to participate and lead, and can fulfil their potential."
To mark the anniversary, leaders from government, business and the gender equality community will come together for a discussion on the theme: "Workplaces by design, not default: Forty years of action and the choices shaping the future of work".
The discussion will consider the progress achieved, the barriers that remain and how workplaces can better reflect the realities of modern life.
WGEA Chief Executive Officer Christine Castley said the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate the impact of the decision made 40 years ago and focus on the next stage of reform to drive gender equality.
"Anniversaries should do more than ask us to look back. They should challenge us to think about the future we want to create," Ms Castley said.
"Our workforce has changed enormously over the past 40 years. The next challenge is to ensure the way we design work keeps pace with our ambitions for gender equality, so we can increase participation, strengthen productivity and create opportunities for everyone to succeed."
