The Workplace Gender Equality Agency claims removing Australia’s pay equity gap could take 50 years. Despite major feminist campaigns in recent decades and significant gains in legislation and attitudes on discrimination, the pay gap is not reducing. The authors of this recent article in The Conversation argue that the growth of market liberalism has reduced the influence of collective rules and regulation on pay and conditions, and harmed the relative position of women in ways that have offset gains through changing values and individual rights.

We know gender pay gaps tend to increase when the economy is booming and contract during economic downturns due to the gender-segregated nature of Australia’s workforce, but many myths about the cause of the gender pay gap still persist.