Set up to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the EOWW Act, this review will consider practical ways to improve the equal opportunity framework to deliver better outcomes for Australian women.

Despite the significant increases in women’s workforce participation, women continue to spend less time in the paid workforce than men, and to fare less well than men on a number of key indicators while at work. The nature of women’s work is also quite different to men’s.

While the labour force participation rate of women was 58.7 per cent in June 2009, for men it was considerably higher at 72.1 per cent. Women are much less likely to work full-time than men (54.9 per cent compared to 84.1 per cent), and comprise over 70 per cent of the part-time workforce.

Workforce participation rates for women by age show a marked dip between the ages of 25 and 44, which is not evident for men. Australia also has a lower participation rate for mothers with young children than the OECD countries of Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Workplace relations legislation has seen significant changes, and the Fair Work Act 2009 has introduced further significant reforms, including to the institutional arrangements for oversight of workplace relations. The Attorney-General appointed an independent committee to undertake nation-wide consultations to consider ways to protect and promote human rights into the future. A Senate Committee has considered the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, and a House of Representatives Committee is examining pay equity.

This review of the EOWW Act and EOWA will help ensure that this legislation fits into the developing legislative framework.