Why it starts with the numbers.

Hurrah for the data!

Until recently the West Australian gender pay gap, which is the highest in Australia, was attributed to the mining sector. WA continues to have the highest gender pay gap in WA and it isn't all due to mining.

This is reflected by ABS average weekly ordinary fulltime earnings where the difference in male and female earnings in mining is $400.10 vs the health and social care sector with a difference of $416.70.

This difference in earnings is reflected by the gender pay gap: the health and social care sector has one of the highest gender pay gaps at 21.1%, only topped by the professional, scientific and technical services at 24.4% and financial and insurance services at 23.6%. The gender pay gap in the mining sector is 14.8%.

The insights released by the BCEC report: Making it a Priority reveal that mining is one of the sectors leading the way even though it is a sector with fewer women than men and has a greater commitment to the WGEA key gender equity indicators.

What's happening in WA?

Of the 51 mining companies headquartered in WA; more than 70% conduct a gender pay gap audit. 

Of the 174 health and social care companies headquartered in WA only 16, that is, less than 10% do a gender pay gap audit. 

The only way to close the gender pay gap is to strive for gender balance at all levels; we need a balance of men and women in higher paying roles and a balance of men and women in senior roles.

If we want to close the gender pay gap in WA we need more than one in two CEOs in WA to start with the numbers and do a gender pay gap audit.