State Govt releases triennial WA women‘s progress report

The State Government this month released the triennial report on the progress of WA women in the areas of leadership, economic independence, safety, justice, and health and wellbeing over the past three years.

While the report shows progress has occurred in many areas, it highlights the persistent barriers that women in the State face on a daily basis.

Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk said there was no doubt there was still plenty of work to do.

“Women remain at significantly higher risk of violence than men — and the gender pay gap is unacceptable,” she said.

Women in WA continue to face a significantly higher risk of violence than men, particularly sexual and family and domestic violence.

WA’s gender pay gap is down, but continues to be the highest nationally, at 21.2 per cent across all industries, down from 28.2 per cent since 2011.

However, women’s workforce participation has increased, with the number of women in the WA workforce reaching a record high of 64.5 per cent.

There were 51.5 per cent of women working full-time, compared with 82.6 per cent for employed men, with a 12-percentage point increase in the use of childcare in the period.

“It is encouraging to see that more organisations realise that greater diversity and having more women in leadership roles is good for business,” Ms McGurk said.

“Industry can play a role in removing barriers for women so they can pursue higher paying careers that have traditionally been male-dominated.”

The report presents fact-based information to raise awareness of the status of WA women and contributes to the evidence base which underpins actions to promote the benefits of greater gender equity, such as, informing policy to improve outcomes for women.

The snapshot is produced by the Department of Communities in partnership with the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre.