Time to #MarchForward this International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day we want to see positive change and real action on the retirement savings gap.
International Women's Day (IWD) has been around for over a hundred years. Since 1911, IWD has been a day to advocate for women’s equality, celebrate advancements and raise awareness about gender discrimination. It’s a great opportunity for workplaces to come together and commit to prioritising equality. This year IWD falls on March 8.
International Women’s Day in 2025
This year’s International Women’s Day themes are March Forward and Accelerate Progress. While there are many ways you may choose to embrace these themes, we think working together to close the gender pay and retirement savings gaps is a great way to improve gender equality in Australia.
The national gender pay gap in Australia, based on full-time average weekly earnings, is 12% (or about $238 per week). This means women need to work an additional 44 days a year to earn the same as men.
That number accounts for weekly earnings only. If you include superannuation, bonuses and overtime, the gender pay gap grows to 19%.
Of course, at smartMonday we’ve also got our eye on the super gap because in the age group close to retirement, women have an average of 25% less in their super then men and we want to see all our members’ retirement dreams become a reality.
A big part of this difference in retirement savings is caused by super not being paid on parental leave. The government has only just mandated super be paid on government funded parental leave from July 1 this year.
Right now, it’s more important than ever that we don’t let International Women’s Day pass us by. This is our chance to take stock of the important issues facing women and actually #MarchForward and #AccelerateProgress!
How can you make International Women’s Day count in your workplace?
Connect to the issues that matter to you
Look at your industry and consider the issues that matter to you. Do you want to see more women in leadership in your industry? Do you want to see the pay gap closed? This is the perfect chance to highlight the ways your industry can improve.
Set an agenda
If you’re committed to delivering an unforgettable IWD event set an agenda and plan speakers or fundraising events that will get people excited and spark conversation.
Invite everyone
IWD is for everyone, invite your male and non-binary colleagues to join the conversation and build equality together. And remember, this applies to planning too – all the responsibility for planning and organising events shouldn’t fall to women.