Released each year to mark International Women’s Day, the annual Status of Women Report Card is an accessible evidence-based resource to support reflection, discussion and action on gender equality.
The Report Card shows where Australia is making progress towards gender equality and where challenges persist. It shines a light on the Government’s priority areas for advancing gender equality across safety; unpaid and paid care; economic equality and security; health; and leadership, representation and decision‑making, underscoring the importance of sustained action to improve outcomes for women and girls.
By bringing together data from different domains and sources, the Report Card is a point in time snapshot that helps identify where policies and reforms are making a difference, and where ongoing effort is needed to address inequality, prevent harm and expand opportunity.
The 2026 Status of Women Report Card shares data on a range trends:
- Australia is ranked 13th globally for gender equality, our highest score ever, a significant improvement from 43rd in 2022.
- The national gender pay gap is 11.5 per cent
- Use of paid care for children under 5 continues to rise, with 56% of families relying on paid care in 2023
There are new insights from national data, including findings that most Australians work in a sector or occupation dominated by their own gender – underscoring how deeply gender segregation remains embedded in the labour market and how it continues to shape pay, security and opportunity.
The Report Card also identifies new and growing issues, including technology‑facilitated abuse and the increasing normalisation of tracking and monitoring amongst young people through digital tools. These issues are affecting women’s safety, autonomy and wellbeing.
The Report Card maintains a focus on the national crisis of gender-based violence which impacts the lives of so many women and children in Australia still today and requires ongoing action.
This year, the Report Card highlights shifts in men’s experiences, pointing to early signs of change in the distribution of paid and unpaid care. New findings show that men now account for more than 20 per cent of employees taking primary carer parental leave in medium and large private‑sector workplaces, and that men are entering the aged care workforce at faster rates than women, following wage increases. While these shifts are still at an early stage, they suggest progress towards sharing caring responsibilities more evenly.
The 2026 Status of Women Report Card can be viewed here.
Quotes attributed to Minister for Women, Katy Gallagher
“The Status of Women Report Card is our annual opportunity to take stock of where we are making progress towards gender equality, and where challenges remain.
“This year’s Report Card shows that while we are seeing encouraging signs of change in some areas, including early shifts in the sharing of paid and unpaid care, serious and persistent challenges continue to affect women’s safety, security and opportunity.
“It also highlights emerging evidence on technology‑facilitated abuse, and new insights from national data that show just how entrenched gender segregation remains in our workforce.
“Gender equality cannot be taken for granted. The Report Card makes clear that sustained, deliberate action by governments, workplaces and communities is essential if we are to keep making progress and improve outcomes for women and girls across Australia.”