Women in aged care: the numbers tell the story

Getting women into senior and executive positions, and paying them equal wages to men, are challenges that still persist in the residential sector, figures show.

Getting more women into senior executive positions, and paying them equal wages to men, are challenges that still persist in the residential sector, figures show.

Data from the government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency show the residential care sector is struggling to progress women into the sector’s top positions and to pay them the same wages as men.

Women are over-represented in the non-management and junior management roles in the residential care sector, but their numbers drop dramatically at the top executive echelons.

The 2016 data, which is based on 228 organisations in residential care services, within the broader healthcare and social assistance division, shows that:

It’s worth noting the residential sector is ahead of other industries on several fronts – for instance, the 37 per cent of female CEOs is more than double the average for all other industries (16 per cent).

However, given women make up 82 per cent of the residential care workforce overall, it’s clear the sector can do better when it comes to getting women into its most senior ranks.

Coinciding with the fall in female representation as you move up the leadership ladder in the residential sector, the gender wage gap starts to increase sharply.

The figures show that:

Tackling the pay gap

When it comes to having clear measures to tackle the gender pay gap, 26 per cent of residential providers had specific gender pay equity objectives included in their remuneration strategy, which is roughly in line with the all industries average.

However, the data also shows that:

Having policies, strategies for action

When it comes to having a gender equality policy, residential care providers are ahead of the all industries average – 64 per cent compared to 58 per cent.

But they fall behind when it comes to action; fewer providers have a gender equality strategy (12 per cent) compared to the all industries average (22 per cent).

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency has advice for organisations on how to set gender targets, which can be found here.

Read more in AAA’s special report on women in aged care: 

Tags: women-in-leadership, workforce, workplace-gender-equality-agency,

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