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“Whether we like it or not, ‘equal opportunity’ just isn’t the reality of modern-day Australia right now, although we are slowly making progress,” said Isy. 

As an employee at one of the Big Four banks, Isy is all too familiar with the gender biases and injustices that are entrenched in our workplaces. 

“I see it all the time in my work, where my male colleagues are coerced into not accessing their full parental leave entitlements, they’re not given equal opportunity to care for their children, and the bank refuses to offer flexibility and leadership roles to women, which hinders our success. 

“In our current environment, the expectation that women take care of children and men go to work is still present, particularly in the finance sector, where our gender pay gap is a shameful 22.2% compared to 16.7% Australia-wide.” 

The past three years have offered Isy hope, however, with the Albanese Labor Government putting gender equality at the heart of its policy making decisions.  

From reforms like pay transparency to extending paid parental leave (PPL), Australia is making inroads towards a society that not only respects working women, but also increases workforce participation for everyone. 

“It feels like the federal government is committed to tackling gender equality issues, which really is the first step to achieving equal opportunity – it has to start from the top, from our country’s leaders. 

“They’ve done things like legislating for superannuation to be paid on Commonwealth PPL.  

“They’ve extended PPL to 26 weeks by July 2026.  

“They’ve invested in women’s health and frontline services to tackle gender-based violence.  

“And they’ve increased transparency around workforce gender equity targets and pay, which has seen the finance sector’s gender pay gap close by 4% in the last year alone – the first meaningful reduction in a long time.” 

But this federal election, so much is at stake for working women. 

“Unfortunately, Peter Dutton and the Coalition voted against most of these things,” said Isy.  

“You don’t achieve gender equality overnight, or even in a few short years. But you do achieve it by having the right policies in place and by having a government that understands the social and economic benefits of giving equal opportunity to working women.” 

What has Peter Dutton said about gender equality? 

Not much – other than committing to force all public sector workers back to the office five days a week (adding that women can find job-sharing arrangements instead) and to undermine the role of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in our workforce. 

“I’ve always spoken up about gender equality injustices,” said Isy.  

“Saying ‘yes’ to getting involved has provided me with opportunities to speak at annual general meetings and put important questions (like gender equality commitments) to company CEOs, meet with politicians, and engage with everyday Australians to highlight the impact of gender inequality in our country.  

“That’s why I’ve put my hand up to help out this federal election – so people understand what’s really at stake for everyday workers like me. 

“If Peter Dutton becomes prime minister, we risk unwinding much of the progress we’ve made and taking Australia backwards.” 

Read more about what’s at stake this election and get involved here.