New research shows 81% of women believe they must work harder than male peers for the same opportunities.
What’s happening:New research reveals 81% of Australian women believe they must work harder than male peers to access the same opportunities, whilst only 56% believe they have equal opportunity to advance into senior roles compared to 73% of men.
Why this matters: The research reveals workplace inequality creates measurable business costs beyond fairness concerns. For smaller businesses and startups building their teams, these findings highlight structural issues that can undermine growth if left unaddressed.
Four years after Australian employers were required to take action on workplace gender equality, new research reveals women still face persistent barriers that their male colleagues don’t experience. The findings expose gaps in leadership access, transparency and support that affect both individual careers and business performance.
The nationally representative study of more than 1,000 Australian workers, commissioned by COS, found that women continue to report workplace realities that differ starkly from their male counterparts.
One of the clearest divides is securing leadership positions. Just 56% of women believe they have an equal opportunity to advance into senior roles, compared to 73% of men. Men were also far more likely to say promotions in their workplace are based on merit, with 65% agreeing compared to 42% of women.
Women who disagreed pointed to structural barriers, with 39% citing that senior leadership is predominantly male and advancement favours existing informal networks, and 27% highlighting a lack of transparency around how advancement decisions are made.
The pressure to prove yourself
The pressure to prove oneself falls disproportionately on women. A striking 81% said they believed they have to work harder than their male peers to access the same opportunities. This perception was even echoed by men, with 73% agreeing that women have to put in more effort to be given the same chances.
Parenting responsibilities added another layer to the inequality. Mothers were nearly twice as likely as fathers to say they had missed out on opportunities due to parental responsibilities, reinforcing how caring duties still disproportionately impact women’s careers.
The research points to a cultural cost beyond individual experiences. Workers who perceive inequality, whether in leadership access or parenting support, are less likely to feel engaged and more likely to consider leaving their organisation. Among women under 40, one in three said they would likely move to another employer within two years if equality barriers persisted.
Implications for smaller businesses
For smaller businesses and startups, the same issues appear in different forms. Informal networks, ad-hoc promotion decisions and limited parental support structures can create barriers that affect both talent retention and company culture. Without formal systems in place, bias can more easily influence who gets opportunities and how advancement decisions are made.
Experts point to three core equity levers organisations can adopt to address these barriers.
First, establish fair and transparent systems. Implement clear frameworks that remove bias in recruitment, promotion and pay decisions. Ensure all roles are reviewed through consistent processes such as annual salary benchmarking and gender pay gap analysis to maintain equity in outcomes.
Second, embed inclusive processes across the employee lifecycle. Design policies that enable equal access to flexibility, learning and career progression. Use structured recruitment panels, open internal advertising for promotions and regular development conversations to ensure fairness at every stage.
Third, measure, monitor and report progress. Track gender representation and pay equity through regular reporting and set measurable targets for improvement. Use data to identify trends, celebrate progress and hold leaders accountable for maintaining equality across all levels of the organisation.
A female-led example
Sisters Belinda and Amie Lyone, who lead COS as Co-CEOs, demonstrate how these principles work in practice. Their executive leadership team is more than 50% female, with women representing over 45% of management roles in FY24/25, a figure that has continued to grow steadily over the past few years.
“The inequalities women face are not always loud or obvious, they can often be invisible, but they add up,” says Belinda Lyone. “Whether it’s feeling the need to prove yourself repetitively or seeing colleagues advance because they have more access to networks, the message is clear: Australia still has to do more to create workplaces that are truly equal.”
The research reveals that inequality carries measurable costs. Workers who perceive barriers to advancement or inadequate parenting support show lower engagement and higher turnover intentions. For organisations competing for talent, these perceptions directly affect their ability to attract and retain skilled employees.
“These inequalities are not just a ‘women’s issue’, they’re a business issue,” Lyone says. “When talent feels overlooked or unsupported, the entire organisation suffers. Companies that make equality an organisational priority will attract and retain stronger teams.
Four years into mandatory action on workplace gender equality, the research suggests that progress remains uneven. Whilst some organisations have made structural changes, many women still experience barriers that affect their career progression and workplace engagement.
The path forward requires moving beyond statements of commitment to implementing the systems, transparency and accountability measures that create genuine equality. For organisations willing to make that investment, the research suggests clear benefits in talent retention, employee engagement and competitive positioning.
For women navigating these barriers, the findings validate experiences that are often dismissed as individual perception rather than systemic pattern. The data confirms what many have long known: achieving workplace equality requires more than time and good intentions. It requires deliberate action, transparent systems and leaders willing to challenge the structures that perpetuate inequality.
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