WHIN’s Enterprising Women’s market

Women’s economic participation is a crucial ingredient in the recipe for both mental and physical health, which is why economic participation for women is a priority area of our work.

It is widely accepted that for women engaged in paid work, the majority experience greater financial security, independence and improved mental and physical health. However, paid labour force participation is not exclusively an indicator of good health – policies, conditions, hours worked and pay rates can all have a negative effect on health, particularly for women in some of Women’s Health In the North’s (WHIN’s) key target groups: women with low socio-economic status, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women and young women.

WHIN’s 2008 research into factors of economic participation affecting women’s health and wellbeing resulted in a resource of four fact sheets addressing the issues of women and consumption, women and work and women and climate change. WHIN also continues to advocate widely for policies and programs that will increase women’s positive economic participation.

Equal Remuneration Case and the Equal Pay Campaign

Did you know that in February 2011 the gender pay gap between men and women in Australia was at 17.2% with women earning $237.50 per week less than their male counterparts[1]?

This significant pay gap is due to a number of factors that include workforces continuing to be dominated by one sex with female dominated industries such as aged care, childcare and social and community services continuing to be poorly remunerated[2]. The low wage levels associated with female dominated sectors can largely be attributed to a historical and systemic devaluing of what has traditionally been labelled as “women’s work”.

In March 2010 the Australian Services Union (ASU) lodged an application for an equal remuneration order with Fair Work Australia. The argument being pursued by unions representing social, community and disability workers is that the sector is underpaid due to gender discrimination. The application aims to increase the pay of workers covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Industry Award (formerly SACS award).

WHIN supports the Equal Remuneration case. This case presents a significant step forward in attempting to reduce the gender pay gap. For this reason WHIN endorses the ASU Equal Pay Campaign as a strategy to improve women’s economic participation.

WHIN has supported the Equal Pay Campaign in the following ways:

• Staff attendance at the National Equal Pay Day of Action rallies
• Signing onto the ASU Campaign Statement of Support
• Signing onto the Australian Council of Social Services Sector statement
• Advocating to local Members of Parliament to support the campaign
• Raising awareness of the campaign among WHIN members, Facebook friends and twitter followers
• Hosting a WHIN Member breakfast prior to the June Equal Pay Day of Action rally.

If you would like further information on WHIN’s support for the Equal Pay Campaign please contact Anna Stewart, WHIN Health Promotion worker, by phone on 9484 1666 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you would like to know more about the Equal Pay Campaign please visit the Pay Up website http://www.payup.org.au/.

Economic Participation Fact Sheets

• Women and Consumption
• Women and Unpaid Work
• Women and Paid Work
• Women and Climate Change

Women’s opinions – A Video Resource

WHIN interviewed women in Melbourne’s Northern metropolitan region about economic participation, collecting their opinions in an audiovisual resource.

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Submissions on Economic Participation

WHIN’s advocacy work to gain policies and programs that increase women’s positive economic participation include submissions on paid parental leave and volunteering.