Gender equality gap narrows – but there is more to do

• The release of the latest Annual Queensland Women’s Statement and Gender Equality Report Cards show the gender pay gap for a full-time working week continues to reduce in Queensland.
• Queensland women are breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated fields, including in the construction industry and the judiciary.
• Concerning statistics regarding women’s safety continue, with the proportion of women feeling safe walking alone at night in their local area remaining at 27 per cent.

The Miles Government has released its 2024 Annual Queensland Women’s Statement (AQWS) alongside the 2023 Gender Equality Report Cards (GERC) during Queensland Women’s Week.

The second AQWS demonstrates the Miles Labor Government’s ongoing commitment to gender equality, by highlighting the achievements across government in implementing the 47 commitments under the Queensland Women’s Strategy 2022-2027 during 2023.

The Statement also outlines the next steps for progressing gender equality and improving outcomes for women and girls in 2024.

Progress includes increased women in the STEM and construction industries and gender pay, workforce participations, and superannuation gaps getting smaller.

The employment participation gap between women with disability and without is also gradually closing, with GERC reporting a 3.2 per cent drop from 18 per cent in 2016 to 14.9 per cent in 2021.

Despite these gains, women are significantly more likely to do unpaid work, and more likely to be subjected to violence including sexual assault and elder abuse.

They also continue to earn and retire with less money, with more than 30 per cent of women relying on their partner’s income in retirement compared with six per cent men.

These findings illuminate areas of both progress and persistent challenges for Queensland women in the workforce.

The Miles Government will continue to implement initiatives to address these safety concerns and deliver the commitments under the Queensland Women’s Strategy 2022-27.

The 2024 Annual Queensland Women's Statement and 2023 Gender Equality Report Cards are available online. More information on the Office for Women website.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman:

“The latest Statement and Report Cards confirm the Miles Government’s unwavering commitment to investing in a safer and more prosperous future for women and girls.

“But let’s be clear – there is still a lot to be done.

“That's why we’re strengthening our laws to better protect women and hold perpetrators to account.

“We are investing in programs that empower and support women to upskill, reskill, and take up leadership roles.

“Our Female Founders program will support close to 500 women to develop and grow their businesses.

“More than half of the 66,300 Queenslanders that have commenced Free TAFE are female

“And we will continue to encourage more women into industries such as manufacturing, energy, and STEM.

“Inequality persists, but the Miles Government is making ground on closing the economic gaps between men and women.

“We remain committed to building a bright future for women and girls, one where they feel safe, empowered, and celebrated every step of the way.”

ENDS