Methodology & references

This Statement draws on the findings of the Women’s Economic Opportunities Review (the Review), which was established by the NSW Government in February 2022¹⁸⁹.

Scope of the Review

The Review considered how to improve women’s economic opportunity over the next five to 10 years through increasing workforce participation, improving equity at work and supporting women in small business.

It identified barriers to women’s economic participation and reform opportunities to address structural and non-structural barriers to women participating and succeeding in the workforce and to parents and carers being able to balance work and life.  

The core focus of the Review was on women’s economic participation and opportunities. However, noting that women’s access to work is impacted by a range of interrelated factors (including women’s health and safety and experiences of family, domestic and sexual violence), this Statement and the 2022-23 NSW Budget seek to address many of the issues in parallel. 

Expert Reference Panel

The NSW Government established an Expert Reference Panel to support the Review. The Panel provided subject matter expertise and advice which has informed this Statement.  

The Expert Reference Panel was chaired by Sam Mostyn AO, President of Chief Executive Women. The other members of the Panel were: 

• Maha Abdo OAM, CEO Muslim Women Association  
• Blair Comley PSM, Partner EY Port Jackson Partners 
• Jillian Kilby, CEO and Founder of The Infrastructure Collaborative and The Exchange 
• Leslie Loble AM, Co-Chair of the Council on Early Childhood Development 
• Daisy Turnbull, writer and teacher.

Methodology 

The Statement has been informed by an extensive review of the existing literature, data analysis, commissioned research, public submissions and consultation with stakeholders. 

Literature review and commissioned research 

A desktop review was undertaken of the existing literature on gender inequality and the barriers to women’s economic participation, as well as potential reforms to address these. Further research was also commissioned for the purposes of the Review. This included: 

• a rapid synthesis of the body of research on the views and experiences of women in relation to economic participation led by the Gender Equality in Working Life Research Initiative (GEWL) at The University of Sydney 
• analysis of empirical data on economic outcomes for women and men in New South Wales and Australia, comparison to equivalent international data, analysis of workforce disincentive rates and modelling of the long-term economic and fiscal impact of improving women’s economic outcomes 
• research on the experiences and expectations of working women in Western Sydney, including focus groups involving 45 women from Western Sydney. 

Public submissions 

Members of the public, organisations and other stakeholders were invited to make submissions to the Review via the NSW Treasury website between 7 February 2022 and 6 March 2022. A total of 91 submissions were received from a range of stakeholders, including individuals, unions, local councils, peak bodies, non-government organisations, universities and private organisations. Submissions identified various barriers to women’s economic participation and proposed reforms to increase economic opportunities for women.  

The three most identified barriers to women’s economic participation included:  

• early childhood education and care costs, quality and access  
• support and respect in the workplace  
• access to flexible work. 

Several submissions highlighted the affordability of early childhood education and care and its limited availability outside of typical working hours (9am–5pm) as key issues affecting women’s workforce participation.

In the workplace, identified factors impacting women’s career advancement included the challenges of balancing work and caring responsibilities, a lack of flexibility in senior positions, and unsafe and unwelcoming workplace cultures.  

Submissions also emphasised that limited access to flexible working arrangements in certain industries and at senior levels remained a significant challenge to be addressed, noting the career penalty attached to part-time work.  

Focus groups 

Twenty-five face-to-face and online focus groups were held with a diverse range of women, with a total of 150 participants. These included young women, older women, employed and unemployed women, women with children, self-employed women, women living in regional New South Wales, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, First Nations women, women living with a disability, carers, women from the LGBTQIA+ community and single mothers. Participants came from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds and were a mix of ages. Both metropolitan and regional areas were represented in focus groups.  

Key issues highlighted by participants included personal safety, sexualisation and sexual harassment, motherhood and its challenges, the responsibilities that often fall to women, and underrepresentation of women in positions of influence. Participants valued the financial security provided by a job, as well as other benefits such as a sense of purpose and accomplishment, learning new skills, and the opportunity to follow their passions. However, they also noted a range of issues women face in workplace, including barriers to workforce participation, pay equality and advancement, as well as challenges in the workplace, such as sexism, gender bias, sexual harassment and discrimination.  

Women in the focus groups also emphasised the importance of financial literacy, lamenting that topics like tax and superannuation are largely missing from the education curriculum, leading to superannuation often being overlooked as an asset by women. Working mothers represented in the focus groups called for greater access to affordable childcare options, citing childcare as a significant factor in their decision to return to work after having children.

Targeted engagement

The NSW Government also conducted targeted engagement with key peak bodies and other stakeholders. This included a survey of women’s organisations and targeted consultations, including with First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse women and women in regional New South Wales. 

A survey of 19 select peak organisations who work with or represent women was conducted in March 2022. The survey explored women’s economic participation, including the barriers to workforce participation, the factors impacting on current earnings or earning potential, financial literacy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s work and finances.  

The top three most identified barriers to women’s workforce participation were:  

• caring responsibilities and domestic duties 
• cost of early childhood education and care 
• challenges re-entering the workforce after a significant time away. 

Respondents highlighted the impacts of the pandemic on the work and finances of women they work with or represent, namely: 

• juggling working from home and home-schooling children 
• reduction in income 
• loss of employment. 

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174. The participation gap measures the increase in female participation required to reach parity with men. The gap is estimated to be 9.0 percentage points in 2021.

175. The hours worked gap measures the increase in average hours worked by women required to reach parity with men. The gap is estimated to be 6.6 hours in 2021.  

176. The gender pay gap measures the difference between the average earnings of women and men in the workforce. It can be measured in various ways but pay gaps in Australia are seen in hourly, weekly, and annual wages, measured through surveys or by dividing the economy-wide wage bill by the number of employees in the economy. The gender pay gap based on average hourly earnings is estimated to be 7.3 per cent in 2021.  

177. Commonwealth transfer payments comprises of Family Tax Benefit A, B and rent assistance. Current policy settings include changes to the childcare subsidy announced in the 2021-22 Budget applicable to the second and subsequent children.

178. 178 Commonwealth transfer payments comprises of Family Tax Benefit A, B and rent assistance. Current policy settings include changes to the childcare subsidy announced in the 2021-22 Budget applicable to the second and subsequent children.

179. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, seasonally adjusted.

180. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Participation, Job Search and Mobility Survey.

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184. NSW Premier and Cabinet.

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186. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022 Labour Force, Australia, Detailed.

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