Did you know that in mid-August there is an important date to mark on your calendar? It's not one to celebrate, but it does need recognition. It's Equal Pay Day. The exact date varies each year, but in Australia it's about 60 days into the new tax year.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) annually calculates the difference between the average weekly earnings for men and women. In 2024, they stated that "despite the base salary pay gap lowering from previous years, for every dollar on average men earned, women earned 89 cents. That's $238 less than men each week" (Victorian Government Department of Families, Fairness and Housing). Equal Pay Day in 2025 is 19 August - mark it on your calendar!
The UN also recognises global gender pay disparity on 18 September. They note that "women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn for work of equal value – with an even wider wage gap for women with children." Also, "women carry out at least two and a half times more unpaid household and care work than men" (UN International Equal Pay Day).
This isn't only an issue for people in the workforce. The Finder's Parenting Report 2021 showed that, on average, boys made about a dollar more in pocket money than girls. A study led by Starling Bank and Loughborough University found that the 'pink tax' starts on children's books and toys - those promoted to girls cost about 5% more. An article in The Week mentioned that financial literacy and responsibility are viewed differently between male and female children.
Therefore, classrooms are an important place to start educating all people about systemic inequality, its impacts and the actions that individuals can take. Check out these resources to build lesson plans around this important topic:
Primary School Level | High School & University Level |
Moneysmart.gov.au - Teaching Kids about Money | Australian Bureau of Statistics - Gender Pay Gap Guide |
Workplace Gender Equality Agency - Gender Pay Gaps Data Interactive | |
EUKA - Financial Literacy for Kids | Pew Research Centre - The Enduring Grip of the Gender Pay Gap |
More Resources:
University of Queensland - Five clues to the origin of the gender pay gap and how to fix them
Education Review - Pay gaps better represent majority female workforce in a few schools
The Australian Institute - 6 Myths about the Gender Pay Gap (Busted!)
If you would like to talk about navigating gender or pay issues at your school, please book an online appointment through our website.
