Gender Pay Gap

Gender equity is embedded within Curtin’s values and 2030 Strategic Plan, which focuses on cultivating an inclusive culture and working environment for all staff. The gender pay gap is a universally recognised metric of workplace gender equality, and closing the gender pay gap (GPG) is fundamental to achieving gender equity at Curtin.

• The gender pay gap (GPG) refers to the total percentage difference between the average hourly earnings for men and women across an organisation or selected group without regard to their specific roles or type of employment.  
• The GPG is not a measure of equal pay: the right to equal remuneration for equivalent roles is protected by federal industrial legislation.  
• The GPG is the result of a number of social and economic factors which reduce the earning capacity of women in the workforce.  

Australia’s national gender pay gap is 21.7% (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2023). 

The Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Act 2023 introduced a change which allows the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to publish the GPG for organisations with more than 100 employees, in addition to publishing their gender pay gap at a national, industry and occupational level. WGEA produces the GPG for individual organisations based on their respective and collective responses to an annual questionnaire canvasing activity related to gender equity, including de-identified payroll data.

Note: Although WGEA has created the option for employers to report employee gender as non-binary (voluntary category), these employees are not included in the dataset analysed for the gender pay gap. WGEA’s position is that due to the number of relatively small number of employees in this category, including a non-binary option would potentially make these employees identifiable.

Gender Pay Gap at Curtin

Curtin University’s gender pay gap represents the total percentage difference between the average hourly earnings for men and women across the University without regard to their specific roles or type of employment.

When looking at Curtin’s GPG, it’s crucial to consider context, including what drives the pay gap imbalance at Curtin and what steps we have taken, and continue to build on, to work toward gender pay equity. We are invested in initiatives and best practices that break down barriers and support the career development and leadership of women at Curtin, which directly and indirectly work toward closing our gender pay gap.

Learn about Curtin’s 2022-23 WGEA reporting through our Employer Statement.

Learn more about the initiatives, actions and strategies Curtin is taking to work toward gender pay equity through Gender Equity and Inclusion.