This report investigates what drives a gender-balanced workforce. Gender balance means having at least 40% women and 40% men in the workforce. The findings are drawn from a dataset of Australian employers, covering more than 5.1 million workers. The report also investigates pay gaps within an organisation, between women and men doing jobs at a similar level, but that have different salaries – also known as ‘horizontal pay gaps’. 

The report makes the case that gender equity is not simply a matter of fairness. Organisations that achieve balanced leadership are more likely to outperform their peers in company value, profitability and resilience. The challenge is to sustain momentum, expand balance beyond boards into executive leadership, and redesign occupational pipelines to embed equity throughout Australia’s workforce.

It sets out a clear agenda for employer action including by tracking and addressing resignation patterns, embedding accountability for leadership balance, redesigning pipelines for women into traditionally men-dominated roles and men into women-dominated roles, and normalising flexibility in leadership roles.

Key findings

• Across the economy, only 27% of organisations reach gender balance.
• Some industries are breaking through to more balanced employment, with service sectors such as arts and recreation, accommodation and food services, and finance showing measurable gains.
• Boards are approaching parity, but the pipeline into executive leadership remains blocked.
• Women now account for nearly 40% of key management personnel, yet only one in four organisations report gender balanced leadership teams, and female CEOs remain the exception.
• Appointments and promotions have helped shift gender balance in a number of industries, particularly those facing skill shortages, but higher resignation rates among women in key sectors are eroding progress.