Women are entering and staying in the workforce in greater numbers than ever before, but many of us are still fighting an uphill battle when it comes to career opportunities. We’re still earning less than our male peers — a disparity that starts at the graduate level — and men continue to dominate leadership positions across most industries. Women who have children also continue to face a motherhood penalty and, come retirement, end up with significantly less in superannuation savings than men. Smart Company proposes that employers can do more:

Make equal pay a priority: The total remuneration gender pay gap was found to be at 21.3% at the end of 2018, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

Champion women’s career progression: Women continue to be less likely to progress into managerial positions compared to their male colleagues.

Address unconscious bias: Unconscious bias is one of the biggest factors limiting a woman’s career potential, and sadly, it’s endemic in most industries.

Extend more family-friendly policies to male employees: As long as women are considered the primary caregivers of children, we will never achieve gender equality in the workplace.

Reward employees: What most women value in the workplace are more practical policies and opportunities - more flexibility, development training, job security and respect.