New findings from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reveal a staggering pay gap of $170,000 between female and male CEOs in Australia, highlighting a serious systemic issue at the executive level. The WGEA study, which discloses a 25% pay disparity, has encouraged Chief Executive Women (CEW) to urge immediate and significant Federal government action. This gap reflects not only entrenched corporate governance issues but also wider societal inequalities that hinder women’s leadership and career progression in the corporate workplace.

Further analysis from the WGEA study shows that nearly 75% of Australian employers preserve wage structures that favour men, particularly in lucrative sectors like finance, mining, and construction.

The survey, which includes data from approximately 8,000 employers, indicates that companies with higher average pay tend to have larger gender pay gaps.

Although women make up almost half of the Australian workforce, they are still vastly underrepresented and underpaid in senior positions. Considering these findings, CEW board members gathered on March 8, 2025, at their Sydney headquarters to brainstorm effective strategies for addressing and closing this executive pay gap.

“These figures are simply unacceptable. Equal pay for equal leadership is not just a fair expectation; it’s a fundamental right. We need policy changes now to drive progress and eliminate this gap for good,” CEW President Susan Lloyd Hurwitz.

CEW has put forward several recommendations to the federal government, which are crucial for achieving gender pay equity:

• Strengthening enforcement of pay transparency for executive and board-level compensation.
• Allocating resources for leadership development programmes to better prepare women for CEO and senior executive roles.
• Implementing accountability measures for organisations with significant gender pay gaps among their leaders.

“Gender pay equity is essential for Australia’s economic success. Strong government leadership is key to ensuring transparency and fairness at the highest levels of business,” emphasised WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge.

CEW continues to champion the structural and cultural changes needed to empower more women to take on leadership roles. Closing the gender pay gap at Australia’s highest corporate levels is vital not just for fairness but also for the overall health of the national economy.

For further CEW media information contact:

Jesse McCarthy-Price 
jesse@cew.org.au 
0429 160 550