On March 8th, we displayed trays of sandwiches, distributed coffee and tea, and discussed women's accomplishments.
International Women's Day (IWD) is much more than morning tea, however, and there are still statistics out there that we cannot ignore.
According to DBM Atlas data *, significantly more women (84% versus 57%) have employees compared to men, who make up a significantly higher proportion of workers (43% versus 16%).
In addition, there is a significant pay gap between men and women with personal incomes, with men who work full-time being 1.2 times higher than women who work full-time.
DBM's survey on Direct Connect ** found that 79% of women believe that women still suffer from inequality in the workplace. This is compared to 59% of men who believe women experience inequality.
Women's inequality is a problem for everyone
Chantal McCrae, Executive Director Human Resources at DBM Consultants, says: “At the beginning of my career, gender equality was still seen as a 'women's problem'.
“As a result, women have campaigned for change. While these female advocates should be celebrated, it is becoming increasingly apparent that both women and men need to play an active and even proactive role in promoting change in order to achieve true gender equality. "
Working parents still need flexibility
Ms. McCrae explains, "No matter how much the gender equality space changes, there is one thing that cannot be changed and that is physiology.
"Women still bear children, and unfortunately, taking time off to raise a family still has a massive impact on women's careers."
Significantly more men are employed full-time than women (47% versus 31%). While more women work part-time (20% versus 11%), they are full-time DIY enthusiasts (5% versus 1%) or unemployed (38% versus 31%).
"I would love if women had more choices," says Ms. McCrae.
"The government, stepping up action to cut childcare costs, men taking on more stakes in unpaid home care, and more jobs open to flexible working are just some of the basics we need to be to get it right. "
* DBM Consumer Atlas Data 2021. DBM Atlas is one of the largest databases of consumer and business financial services data in Australia. Over 80,000 interviews are carried out every year
** DBM Connect 2021 IWD survey February-March 2021, sample size 1046.
