Australian Human Rights Commission Information for LOI – Australia, 29 August 2016 62. The national gender pay gap is currently at 16.2% (based on average weekly full-time earnings). Women are over-represented in lower-paid industries and occupations.32 63. Australian women continue to be under-represented in the workforce, with 78% of Australian men aged 20-74 years participating in or looking for work in 2013-14, compared with 65% of women. 33 This gap widens with the arrival of children, with 57.5% of mothers whose youngest child is aged 0-5 years participating in the labour force, compared with 94% of fathers.34 64. Where employed, women are more likely to work in part-time or casual roles than men.35 Casual work is insecure work and casual employees with inconsistent patterns of work are not able to access entitlements to paid parental leave and flexible work. 65. The average superannuation balances for women at retirement are 46.6% less than those for men.36 This gap puts many women at risk of being homeless and living in poverty in their retirement. 37 66. The percentage of women on ASX 200 boards was 21.9 per cent, as of 31 January 2016.38 As of 2012, in the ASX 200 women held 9.7 per cent of executive key management personnel positions.39 In the public sector, as of 2015, women held 39.3 per cent of Government board positions, 40 and while constituting 58.7% of the Australian Public Service, were only 41.8% of the Senior Executive Service.41 67. In Australia in 2006, female parents spent over 8 hours per day caring for children aged under 15 years, compared to under 4 hours for male parents.42 Women comprise 92% of primary carers for children with disabilities, 70% of primary carers for parents.43 The disproportionate unpaid caring done by women, is a driver of the gender gaps in workforce participation and in retirement incomes and savings.44 The Commission has identified reform options for recognising and valuing unpaid caring work, and for redistributing unpaid caring work between women and men.45 If implemented they would contribute to reducing these gender gaps. 68. One in two (49%) mothers reported experiencing discrimination at some point during pregnancy, parental leave or on return to work.46 These experiences contribute to women’s under-participation or withdrawal from the workforce and lower retirement savings.47 Over a quarter (27%) of father/partner survey respondents also reported experiencing discrimination upon requesting or after taking parental leave.48 This inhibits the redistribution of caring work between women and men. The Commission recommended introducing legislative reform to strengthen anti-discrimination provisions and employment laws and introduce measures to remove harmful gender stereotypes.49 69. The Commission has called for strengthening the Paid Parental Leave scheme50 by: increasing it to up to 26 weeks at full replacement wages; including a superannuation component, and extending the father/partner pay scheme.51 The Commission notes the retrogressive measures proposed in the Fairer Paid Parental Leave Amendment Bill 2015 including: removing the ability for individuals to receive employer-provided primary carer leave 12