NSW: UN Report finds Aust women lack equality in workplace

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2001
NSW: UN Report finds Aust women lack equality in workplace

SYDNEY, Aug 14 AAP - A mere 1.3 per cent of executive positions in Australia are held
by women, according to a new report by the United Nations.

Australian women in management positions are paid 12 per cent less than their male
counterparts, despite the fact they are often better qualified than their male counterparts,
the report said.

The report's Australian author, Linda Wirth, said Australia was performing badly.

"Women are around 25 per cent of all managers at middle and lower level etc, compared
to some other countries like the US, the Russian Federation, central European countries
which are up around the 39 per cent and yet in Australia women occupy 44 per cent of the
workforce," she told Channel Seven.

Even in industries such as health care where women are prevalent, they do not occupy
many of the top positions, she said.

Male managers were also paid 12 per cent more than female managers in Australia, she said.

The upshot was that many women had established their own business.

"We've seen many women leaving large companies and corporations to set up their own
businesses which are more flexible," she said.

In Australia, women comprise 35 per cent of the country's small business operators
and the growth rate for women was three times that of men in 1995-97 - a key to sweeping
aside gender inequalities in all areas of society, the report said.

Despite women surpassing men in educational qualifications, the gender gap in the top
jobs of private companies was glaring.

Women hold a meagre one to three per cent of top executive jobs in the largest corporations
around the world.

AAP maur/jjs/ph

KEYWORD: EQUALITY

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