2023 reporting period
For the 2023 WGEA reporting period, Austrade had a median gender pay gap for its Australian employees of 10.8%. This is primarily driven by a lower representation of women in senior executive roles and a higher representation of women in lower paid, non-management category roles. This reflects the broader workforce composition across the APS where an over-representation of women in lower APS pay bands/quartiles is contributing to more gender inequality across the APS.
One of Austrade’s key Diversity & Inclusion objectives is to achieve equal representation of women and men in leadership positions. In 2023, SES representation was 44% female and 56% male. At the end of 2024 that representation had increased to 48% female and 52% male.
Effective strategies
We remain committed to the addressing the drivers of the gender pay gap and implementing effective strategies to close it over time. We are working on this in several ways:
- Efforts to close the gap are focussed on increasing representation of women in senior and leadership positions to 50% and an overall workforce target of equal gender split 50/50.
- Our Austrade Gender Equality Network (AGEN) is a key group of passionate employees that aims to improve gender balance through education and awareness initiatives as well as targeted support for gender-based issues.
- In 2023 Austrade received endorsement from WORK180 as an employer of choice for all women. This endorsement is a globally recognised sign of a great workplace for women, which considers a business’s stance on pay equity, flexible working, paid parental leave, equal opportunities and a range of other important criteria.
- Ensuring our policies and procedures are consistent and equitable across the Agency, for all staff, to maximise employee engagement. For example, naming menopause and menstruation symptoms as a reasonable basis for accessing sick leave entitlements.
- Providing support for parents and carers, regardless of gender, including flexible ways of working, generous parental leave entitlements and non-leave based support.
- Supporting a pipeline of women to progress from APS to EL and SES roles, through our key Leadership training program, Women in Leader’s Program and associated mentoring. 24 women completed the program in 2023.
More information
Contact us
Email: diversity@austrade.gov.au