Ladies Talk Money pushes for intersectional pay gap reporting in new ‘Out of Sight, Out of Pocket’ campaign via Young Folks

In the lead-up to Equal Pay Day on Monday 19 August, a powerful new campaign titled ‘Out of Sight, Out of Pocket’ has been launched to confront a critical gap in Australia’s gender equity efforts: the need for intersectional gender pay gap reporting. The campaign is being led by Ladies Talk Money, and supported by a coalition of likeminded individuals, organisations and advocates, including Young Folks, Victorian Women’s Trust, MindTribes and Missing Perspectives.

It calls on individuals, businesses, and government to take urgent action in addressing the compounded pay disparities faced by women and gender-diverse people with intersecting marginalised identities. The campaign is launching at a pivotal moment, with mandatory gender pay gap reporting under increased scrutiny following recent Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data releases. However, without intersectional data, the full extent of pay disparities remains hidden.

Says proud Jarowair, Wakka Wakka & Wulli Wulli woman and economic justice advocate, Larisha Jerome: “An intersectional lens reveals systemic barriers unique to different identities, allowing for targeted, nuanced strategies that address root causes of economic disparities among women.”

The campaign’s open letter addresses key leaders, including Prime Minister The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Women Katy Gallagher, WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge, and Australian Statistician David Gruen. It urges the government to implement intersectional data collection and reporting under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, incorporating factors such as age, ethnicity, disability, First Nations status, and sexual orientation.

Says Min-Shi Michelle Lim, organisational culture specialist and DE&I advocate: “We know people’s experiences of gender-based discrimination are compounded by their intersecting identities such as race, socio-economic status, sexuality, neurodiversity and disability. A lack of intersectional data and analysis means we can only really understand the tip of this iceberg.”

The campaign emphasises the need for robust privacy protections and training for organisations to ensure ethical and accurate data collection.

Says Chandel Rose, campaign lead and co-founder, Ladies Talk Money: “Each year, we’re told which date Equal Pay Day will fall on, but – Equal Pay Day for who exactly? While the ABS and WGEA do a great job, and their work is important, it is absolutely crucial that we don’t take our foot off the gas when it comes to social and gender equity in this country. As it stands, there are still too many people being left out of the conversation. And in this instance, out of sight also means out of pocket.”

The Out of Sight, Out of Pocket campaign calls for coordinated action across three levels:

• • Individual action: Raise public awareness of the limitations of current gender pay gap reporting and advocate for intersectional data to better understand and address pay disparities.
• • Business action: Encourage businesses to adopt and support intersectional pay gap reporting, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of inequity within their organisations. And to implement quick wins such as salary bands to provide pay transparency across the organisation.
• • Systemic action: Push for regulatory changes that mandate intersectional pay gap reporting, ensuring data privacy and respecting cultural safety and First Nations’ data sovereignty.

Says Erin Morris, founder and managing director at Young Folks: “Creating a workplace where pay equity is the norm shouldn’t be up for debate. It’s our responsibility as leaders to ensure all women — across all intersections of race, socio-economic status, sexuality, and ability — are paid fairly and have the same chance to progress. Access to intersectional pay gap data will help leaders fully understand the nuances of the current gender pay gap – and once they know better, they can do better.”

As the country approaches a Federal election, the campaign seeks to hold leaders accountable and demand systemic change. Addressing this lack of intersectional data is crucial for developing targeted interventions to reduce these disparities, promote true equity and close *all* of the gaps for good.

For more information on the campaign, or to read the open letter, visit: ladiestalkmoney.com.au/out-of-sight-out-of-pocket-campaign

Images: Emma Rahmani