Despite women making up more than half of the working population in Australia, equality for women in the workplace – especially in male-dominated industries – is far from a reality.

 

According to 2019 research by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), job segregation between women and men has persisted for the past two decades. And several industries continue to be dominated by men, including 

Although it may appear as a distant goal in male-dominated industries, gender equality is possible with enough determination on the part of business leaders and decision-makers. Many organisations have already taken steps towards creating a more diverse workforce in recent years, with a strong focus on awareness and affirmative action.  

 

Some industries and occupation types have shown employment growth for women since 2020, such as Civil Engineering, Construction Manager, ICT Manager and Engineering Manager roles, according to Indeed research.

 

Acknowledging the barriers to gender equality is the first crucial step towards encouraging more women into a broader range of industries and making organisations more inclusive. Read on to discover the main barriers women face in male-dominated industries and how to promote gender equality in your workplace. 

 

1. Lack of flexibility

 

One of the major barriers for women at work is a lack of job flexibility. Roles that have strict working hours, or overtime, are more likely to deter women who may have additional family and caring responsibilities. 

 

2. Lack of role modelling

 

A survey undertaken at CEDA’s 2013 Women in Leadership showed that women identified a lack of female leaders as one of the top barriers to women’s equality in the workforce. This lack of representation also leads to a gap in mentoring from strong female leaders.

 

We spoke to our ambassador Tallisha Harden about the importance of having strong female role models in her life and career.

 

“I’ve been very lucky and had strong female mentors and role models in my personal, academic and sporting life. Without these women, I don’t believe I would have pushed as hard or been as successful,” she said. 

 

“Having a person or people to check in with, bounce ideas off and reflect with has been really invaluable.” 

 

3. Limited career advancement

 

Women working in part-time roles can feel there is lack of career advancement for them, and all women can experience unconscious bias in the workplace. This can be particularly evident in male-dominated industries where there are perceived differences between “male” and “female” skillsets and attributes.

 

Despite her success, Tallisha has faced her fair share of naysayers during her career.

 

“There are always doubters – particulary in the wider community – that question our ability as women to play and compete at a high level. The comments are always ‘they cant do that, they can’t do this, they should be making sandwiches etc, no one cares about the women,’” she said.

 

“Then people actually see us play, and it’s funny to see how quickly the people who doubt us will jump on the bandwagon and support us.”

 

4. Sexual harassment

 

In male-dominated industries, where company cultures are often ‘macho’, workplace sexual harassment can be present. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) 2018 national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces found that, in the previous five years, 39% of women and 26% of men have experienced sexual harassment at work.

 

5. Gender pay gap

 

Another significant barrier for women is the gender pay gap, which persists across all industries but is particularly acute in male-dominated sectors. According to WGEA data, the current national gender pay gap is 14.2%  

 

Improving gender equality in the workplace requires a strategic approach on several fronts. Setting goals and targets for gender equity across all positions in an organisation is a good place to start, as this allows leaders to track progress.  

 

Recruitment, selection and promotion processes play an especially vital role in furthering gender equality. Reviewing processes to uncover and eliminate unconscious bias will help employers grow their female talent pools and encourage more women to apply for roles. Research has shown that job advertisements with gender-neutral language are more likely to attract female job applicants. Substituting words like ‘tradesmen’ for ‘tradespeople’, for example, can make a job ad sound more appealing to a female candidate. 

 

It’s also crucial to use objective benchmarks and KPIs to measure employee performance, so promotions, rewards and recognition are based on merit. Mentorships, career development, leadership and training programs to support women into leadership and technical positions, combined with visible support from both the leadership team and colleagues, are also important for fostering a supportive and inclusive working environment for women.

 

Of course, no gender equality strategy is complete without parental leave and flexible working arrangements made available to all employees. These can include allowing adjustments to working days per week, roster scheduling, options to work from home, along with parental and carers’ leave.

 

Developing a formal policy or strategy for dealing with sexual harassment is also essential. These policies can stipulate employees undergo periodic training programs to encourage a safe workplace culture for women. Organisations can also ensure employees have a safe way to report workplace sexual harassment and encourage workers to call out inappropriate behaviour when it happens.

 

Finally, a fully considered gender equality strategy will also focus on pay equity. Conducting a pay equity analysis across all occupations, encompassing base salary as well as benefits and bonuses, is a vital first step towards addressing any gender-related pay imbalances.

 

For Tallisha, it’s encouraging to see the changes being made across all industries and important that women in leadership are visible to young women and girls.

 

“I definitely believe it’s hard to be something unless you can see it – and this is the case with women in leadership positions. I’ve been very fortunate to have a number of women in leadership positions to look up to, communicate with and learn from,” she said.

 

While the proportion of women in male-dominated industries is yet to reach parity with men, employers can play their part in driving change across Australian workplaces with well-thought-out policies and strategies. 

 

Women working in male-dominated workplaces may face more challenges than in other industries, so a dedicated approach to making the workplace fairer and more supportive of women can help organisations stand apart as great places to work.

 

As an Indigenous recruitment agency with Supply Nation accreditation, First People Recruitment Solutions is dedicated to helping organisations meet their diversity goals with tailored solutions specific to their industry. Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help your business.