Hiring women isn’t the same as supporting them

Hanging in my office is a poster that reads, “A career woman has to look like a lady, act like a man, and work like a dog.”

It once hung in my mum’s law firm, the first female-owned practice in Northwest NSW. Back then it was tongue-in-cheek nod to the hoops women jumped through in male-dominated professions and a wink to her all-female staff. Decades later, it still makes me pause. Not because it’s funny, but because it’s still true.

While we like to think the workplace has moved on, the sentiment behind that joke hasn’t fully disappeared.

The message is still, look right, act right, work twice as hard and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be accepted.

That’s the difference between hiring women and truly supporting them. I’ve seen it first-hand, the external message says “we champion women” yet inside the business, the reality is different.

Hiring women without offering support beyond a salary isn’t closing the gender pay gap it’s keeping it firmly in place.

Just last week, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) released the first paper in its Gender Economic Equality Study, New Perspectives on Old Problems: Gendered Jobs, Work and Pay[1]. The headline findings are frustrating.

·         Men still earn more than women in 98% of Australian occupations.

·         After a decade in the workforce, women take home just 70 cents to every dollar men earn and less for First Nations women.

·         Occupational segregation hasn’t shifted in most roles over the last 15 years.

·         Women aged 25–39 face the “motherhood penalty” - the career cost of how we value (or don’t value) care work.

JSA’s Deputy Commissioner warned it’s a “handbrake on our economy.” With the Government’s Economic Roundtable coinciding with Equal Pay Day on August 18, these numbers should be front and centre.

Why salary isn’t enough

A competitive salary is the baseline - not the solution.

Financy’s Women’s Index shows it will take 22 years to close the gender pay gap and 59 years to reach equal leadership representation. Women still earn less, have lower super balances, and slower career progression despite representation gains in junior and mid-level roles.

If you hire women but don’t invest in their growth, visibility, and leadership opportunities, you are not closing the gap, you are perpetuating it.

What I’ve seen in male-dominated industries

As a woman working in finance and corporate PR, I’ve seen many female marketing managers struggle to get buy-in from predominantly male executives on communications strategy or media opportunities for spokespeople.  

Meanwhile, I have journalists actively asking for female experts for stories and sometimes, I simply can’t find enough to meet the demand.

Within financial services, the median gender pay gap sits at 22.2%, with 96% of employers paying men more than women, according to the WGEA[2].

How businesses can make a difference

1. Platform women internally and externally
Invite women into decision-making spaces. Spotlight achievements in internal comms. Put them forward for industry panels, client presentations, and media opportunities and ensure they have the preparation and support to succeed.

2. Provide real mentorship and sponsorship
Mentorship should be intentional and consistent. The efficiencies created by AI should free leaders’ time to actively support and guide emerging talent of all genders not leave them to “sink or swim,” the most frustrating phrase in corporate Australia.

3. Ensure equal opportunity for visibility
Visibility isn’t just self-promotion, it’s being seen as a leader. Teach and support women to present, pitch, and grow their presence on platforms like LinkedIn. It’s why I created my Media and Communications Coaching Programs so when women are given the platform, they can step into it with confidence.

4. Build accountability and open dialogue
Track who gets promoted, who gets pay rises, and who gets the big opportunities. Have honest conversations about what’s working and what’s not without defensiveness.

This is everyone’s responsibility

The WGEA reporting requirements are a good start, but they only apply to businesses with more than 100 employees. That shouldn’t mean smaller companies are off the hook, cultural change starts everywhere, from large corporates to SME’s.

Internal PR is just as important as external PR. A media release about your latest female hire is not the finish line. Hiring a woman is just the start of the journey, the real work is in the ongoing support, the doors you open, and the culture you build.

So if you're serious about gender equity, don’t just look at your headcount. Look at your headlines. Who’s getting visibility? Who’s shaping the narrative? And who’s being overlooked?

That’s why I keep that poster on my wall. Not as a platitude but as a reminder of what still needs to change. And I’m hopeful that one day, my younger sister, my nieces, and the next generation won’t have to have it on theirs.

[1] https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/publications/new-perspectives-old-problems-gendered-jobs-work-and-pay

[2] https://www.wgea.gov.au/pay-and-gender/gender-pay-gap-data