According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the proportion of women aged 15 years and over who are employed in Australia has steadily increased over the last quarter of a century (from 40% in 1979 to 53% in 2004). Over the same period, the proportion of men who were employed decreased from 74% in 1979 to 68% in 2004. This fall for men may be linked to factors such as fewer jobs available in goods-producing industries, the changing role of men in families and an increasing proportion of men receiving the disability support pension.

As a result of the changes to the proportion of men and women who were employed, women now represent a higher proportion of employed people (36% in 1979 compared with 45% in 2004). In 2004, 4.3 million women and 5.4 million men were employed.

The growth in employment for women has been mainly in part-time employment. The proportion of women who were employed part-time increased from 14% of all women in 1979 to 24% in 2004. The proportion of women who were employed full-time also increased (from 26% in 1979 to 29% in 2004).

The gender pay gap is the difference between women’s and men’s average weekly full-time equivalent earnings, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. The national gender pay gap is currently 16.0% and has hovered between 15% and 19% in Australia for the past two decades. 

The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won't close entirely globally until 2186.

This is an unwelcome and unnecessary part of #awomansjourney.  I am going to write a book called ‘Fifty Shades of Blue: The View from Beneath the Glass Ceiling’.  I have a number of anecdotes myself, and I am collecting anecdotes from friends and colleagues.

It is intended to be fun and the reference to blue refers to my great love for wearing blue clothes and jewellery, and looking great, with Australian made Plus Size clothes from Swish Fashion, as well as being serious about my career.

I have been consulting my contacts on LinkedIn about the photo for the cover of my book, and this picture is by far the most popular.  Just needs a blue tint.

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