A new study by Jobs and Skills Australia has found that for every dollar earned by male Australian workers, First Nations women earn an average of 65 cents.
JSA’s New perspectives on old problems report found that First Nations women earn 35% less than the average Australian male worker. The pay gap for First Nations women was also almost 10 percentage points greater than for females generally.
“We will not close the gap until we have overcome the gendered pay gap for First Nations women,” said Professor Nareen Young, Director of the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Indigenous People and Work, who contributed to the JSA study. “The pay gap is a productivity issue for all women and families, but for First Nations women it’s a ‘closing the gap’ issue as well.”
Young said the 35% pay gap has a cascading effect on all other elements of social and economic wellbeing.
“It impacts on the ability of First Nations women to access decent housing, provide for their children’s education and give their families the best start in life,” she explained. “More broadly, the gender pay gap is a major barrier to economic independence and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
Moreover, Young said that the gender pay gap had its roots in history.
“The forced labour, stolen wages and indentured work for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia’s recent history is linked to their culturally specific skills in Aboriginal communities being undervalued when it comes to wages.”
Today, the concentrated job roles available to First Nations women help perpetuate the gap.
“JSA’s research found that just over half (53%) of First Nations workers were in moderately, highly or almost completely female-dominated occupations, compared to just under a third (31%) of the total workforce. And we know that female-dominated occupations often pay less than male-dominated occupations,” Young said.
However, she noted that across Australia, First Nations women were successfully closing the gender pay gap.
“Increasingly, our women are breaking through the glass ceilings into commercial leadership, working in non-traditional roles or starting their own businesses. But unless there is continued momentum from governments and employers, these women will remain exceptions rather than the rule,” Young emphasised.
Young commended JSA on its research, saying that the results show exactly why the research is so vital.
“We have long called for intersectional pay gap data like this to be collected and monitored because metrics matter as ‘what gets measured gets done,’” she said.
Read also: Australians are equally divided on gender equality perception
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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