Queensland government urged to look closer into gender inequality

The Queensland Council of Social Services (QCOSS) is urging its state government to assess the impact of its budget policies on gender inequality and the resulting pay gap, calling for further action.

The government should assess the impact of all budget measures on gender disparity, rather than just spending, said QCOSS chief executive Aimee McVeigh.

“The gender pay gap and other gender equality indicators will remain and widen if new, proactive steps are not taken,” McVeigh said in a statement.

The gender gap persists in more areas other than pay, such as the number of hours worked, says QCOSS. Almost half of all working women are part-timers, but the proportion falls to only around one in five for men working part-time. 

Women were more likely to work in sectors under pressure from the pandemic, such as teaching, retail, nursing, travel and tourism, QCOSS highlighted. 

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“Women have absorbed the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic — either by reducing their work hours, stepping out of the workforce entirely, or working in industries put under enormous pressure by the crisis,” said McVeigh.