Australia must use its presidency of the G20 to urge other wealthy nations to do more to tackle gender inequality, with the current rate of progress meaning it will take 75 years before women are paid the same as men, Oxfam has claimed.

A report released by a charity into gender disparities within the countries that make up the G20 found that a significant amount of economic activity generated by women is simply not accounted for.



An additional 20% to 60% of GDP would be added to leading nations’ economies if the hidden contribution of unpaid work, such as care work largely done by women, was valued, the report states.

“The interaction between women’s paid and unpaid workloads is one of the most crucial and yet most neglected systemic issues in economic policy making,” said the report, called The G20 and Gender Equality.

“Women are effectively subsidising the economy with an average of two to five hours more unpaid work than men per day.”

If women had the same paid employment rate as men it would have economic, as well as social, advantages, the report found. For example, US GDP would increase by 9%.

Women are still largely paid less than men for the same jobs, the report states, with the current pay gap existing for another 75 years at the current rate of progress.

Australia ranks well among the G20 when it comes to the gender pay gap, with only Canada, the UK and Indonesia having a comparable level of equality.

However, no G20 has a situation where women’s wages are 80% of men’s, let alone pay parity.

Australia also ranked relatively highly for economic opportunity and participation for women, with only the USA and Canada doing better.

South Korea, Italy and Mexico were among the worst performing nations on pay equity and economic participation. Saudi Arabia is faring worst of all.

Oxfam said Australia should use its presidency of the upcoming G20 conference in Brisbane to urge countries to live up to their commitment in 2012 to expand opportunities for women.

“This is a unique opportunity for Australia to show leadership in this area,” Dr Helen Szoke, chief executive of Oxfam Australia, told Guardian Australia.

“Australia could still do more around the gender pay gap and recognition of unpaid work, but we have some good initiatives that we should be talking about.

“The G20 has fallen short in failing to realise the gaps in gender equality. We saw after the global financial crisis that the G20 can galvanise and we need action now to ensure there’s more consistency on gender equality from wealthy countries.”

Oxfam said the G20 should concentrate on rewarding unpaid work, improving public services which women rely upon and identifying workplace inequalities.

“Australia has said there should be a focus on economic growth in this G20 meeting,” Szoke said. “If that’s the case, gender equality has to be a factor. You can’t grow the economy without recognising the role women have to play.”