Mind the (Pay) Gap: The Never-Ending Saga of Women in the Workplace
The workplace—a land of opportunity, collaboration, and, of course, the occasional soul-crushing realisation that gender equality is still an ongoing experiment. Women, despite comprising nearly half the workforce, continue to face a laundry list of challenges, from being talked over in meetings to being mysteriously paid less for doing the exact same job as their male colleagues (but with better penmanship and fewer unnecessary exclamation marks in emails).
The 2025 Gender Pay Gap: Déjà Vu, but Worse
For those who thought we’d have cracked the pay gap by now, I regret to inform you that your optimism is adorable. According to the latest reports, in 2025, women in the U.S. are still earning around 82 cents for every dollar a man makes. The gap is even wider for women of color, who are often stuck in an economic time machine somewhere between the 1950s and a dystopian future where men still don’t know how to refill the office coffee pot.
In Australia, the scenario isn't much rosier. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported an 11.5% gender pay gap, with men earning $12,038 more per year on average than women.
Some industries are worse than others. In tech? Women are making 79.4 cents to the male dollar, despite bringing the same (if not superior) coding skills to the table. Finance? Same thing, with a gap of 20.6%, though that number conveniently increases when it comes time for promotions. Healthcare? Oh, you thought a field dominated by women would be more equitable? That’s cute. Female doctors make 21.4% less than what male doctors earn, presumably because they lack the advanced skill of confidently guessing an illness without running tests.
Why Do Companies Love Discounted Labour?
You’d think firms would have figured it out by now—paying people fairly is good business! But alas, old habits die hard. Some classic (and completely ridiculous) reasons why companies continue to underpay women include:
"Women just don’t negotiate!" – Ah yes, because after centuries of being told to be agreeable, not "bossy," and to smile more, it’s obviously women’s fault for not demanding better salaries.
"They take too much time off!" – Because apparently, needing maternity leave or, heaven forbid, having a life outside of work is a reason to justify a lower salary. Meanwhile, their colleague Bob takes a three-hour lunch every Friday and gets a bonus for "boosting morale."
"They’re in less demanding roles!" – This is the classic argument that women choose "softer" careers. But when women do enter male-dominated fields, managerial roles or heaven forbid – Partnership positions, they still get paid less. So, what’s the real excuse?
"It’s just how the system works!" – Translation: "We’ve been getting away with this for so long, why stop now?"
The Silver Lining (Yes, There Is One!)
Despite the frustrating stats, progress is happening. Transparency laws are forcing companies to disclose salary discrepancies, and Gen Z workers have zero patience for outdated excuses. Women are launching businesses at record rates, and let’s not forget the delightful trend of employees openly discussing salaries to dismantle secrecy (which HR absolutely hates).
So, what can we do? Keep pushing. Keep talking. Keep asking for what you deserve. And if all else fails, start your own company, pay women fairly, and watch as the talent flocks to you while your competitors scratch their heads wondering why their best employees keep leaving.
The struggle is real, but so is the progress. Until then, ladies, send that email without an exclamation mark. You’ve earned it.