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Indigenous heritage, cultural diversity, disability and gender identity are leading to significantly bigger pay gaps for women, a landmark report by Victoria’s Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector has found.

Analysing workforce and survey data from almost 300 organisations the report found:

For too long, gender equality initiatives have excluded those that do not fit the default mould of the straight, white, able-bodied woman - this is no longer acceptable.

This report shows that compounding forms of discrimination have notable impacts on career progression, pay inequality, and the experience of sexual harassment and discrimination at work. An intersectional approach to gender equality is no longer a nice to have, it’s a must have – without it, our work will continue to reproduce some of the very patterns of inequality we seek to address.