Essential Report
Views towards gender equality in Australia
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about gender equality in Australia?
TOTAL: Agree | Mar’21 | Change from Jun’20 | Jun’20 | Sep’18 | Mar’16 |
Gender equality, meaning that men and women are equal, has come far enough already | 45% | -2% | 47% | 47% | 38% |
Gender equality has already been mostly achieved | 50% | -1% | 51% | 47% | 41% |
Work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people | 60% | +4% | 56% | 45% | 39% |
There should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position | 83% | +3% | 80% | 78% | 78% |
Although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go | 76% | +5% | 71% | 66% | 71% |
Base (n) | 1,074 | – | 1,085 | 1,030 | 1,001 |
- 76% of people agree that although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go (up 5 percentage points since June last year) and consistent with the upwards trend since Sep’18.
- 60% now think work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people and 83% think there should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position. Agreement towards these statements has risen slightly by 4 and 3 percentage points respectively since Jun’20.
- Slightly fewer think gender equality has come far enough already (down 2 percentage points to 45%) and half (50%) still think gender equality has already been mostly achieved.
Views towards gender equality in Australia
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about gender equality in Australia?
TOTAL: Agree | Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | ||||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
Gender equality, meaning that men and women are equal, has come far enough already | 45% | 56% | 34% | 45% | 51% | 39% | 40% | 52% | 22% | 52% | ||
Gender equality has already been mostly achieved | 50% | 62% | 39% | 52% | 54% | 45% | 46% | 58% | 29% | 55% | ||
Work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people | 60% | 63% | 57% | 69% | 65% | 47% | 61% | 57% | 60% | 64% | ||
There should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position | 83% | 77% | 89% | 82% | 82% | 86% | 87% | 83% | 87% | 77% | ||
Although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go | 76% | 69% | 82% | 78% | 77% | 72% | 80% | 69% | 92% | 74% | ||
Base (n) | 1,074 | 527 | 547 | 326 | 363 | 385 | 335 | 396 | 106 | 138 | ||
- Agreement that there should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position is high overall, with 89% of women and 77% of men agreeing. Of this, 73% of women and 49% of men strongly agree.
- Many also agree although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go, with 82% of women and 69% of men in agreement with this (respectively, 50% and 38% strongly agree).
- However, men are still more likely than women to agree that gender equality has come far enough already (56% to 34%) and that it has already been mostly achieved (62% to 39%).
Statements about gender equality
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about gender equality in Australia?
TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Unsure | |
There should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position | 80% | 12% | 52% | 28% | 6% | 5% | 9% |
Although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go | 71% | 20% | 34% | 37% | 14% | 6% | 9% |
Work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people | 56% | 25% | 21% | 35% | 17% | 8% | 20% |
Gender equality has already been mostly achieved | 51% | 39% | 18% | 34% | 25% | 14% | 10% |
Gender equality, meaning that men and women are equal, has come far enough already | 47% | 43% | 19% | 27% | 25% | 18% | 10% |
TOTAL: AGREE | Total | Sep’18 | Change from Sep’18 | Mar’16 | |
There should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position | 80% | 78% | +2 | 78% | |
Although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go | 71% | 66% | +5 | 71% | |
Work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people | 56% | 45% | +11 | 39% | |
Gender equality has already been mostly achieved | 51% | 47% | +4 | 41% | |
Gender equality, meaning that men and women are equal, has come far enough already | 47% | 47% | 0 | 38% | |
Base (n) | 1,085 | 1,030 | – | 1,001 |
TOTAL: AGREE | Total | Gender | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
Male | Female | Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
There should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position | 80% | 75% | 85% | 83% | 80% | 90% | 74% |
Although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go | 71% | 66% | 71% | 75% | 67% | 86% | 69% |
Work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people | 56% | 59% | 53% | 58% | 59% | 48% | 50% |
Gender equality has already been mostly achieved | 51% | 61% | 42% | 45% | 64% | 29% | 50% |
Gender equality, meaning that men and women are equal, has come far enough already | 47% | 57% | 36% | 42% | 55% | 33% | 43% |
Base (n) | 1,085 | 533 | 552 | 339 | 417 | 92 | 126 |
- Agreement with gender equality statements is largely on par with Sep’18 – except work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people which increased 11% (from 45% to 56%).
- Men are more likely that gender quality has been mostly achieved (61%) or has come far enough (57%); while women are more likely to agree that there should be laws that require equal salaries for men and women in the same position (85%) and although there has been significant progress on gender equality there is still a long way to go (77%).
- Coalition voters are more likely to agree with statements that gender quality has been mostly achieved (64%) or has come far enough (55%); while Greens voters are more likely to agree that there should be laws that require equal salaries (90%) and there is still a long way to go on gender equality (86%).
- 18-34 year olds are more likely to agree that has come far enough (54%) and work to achieve gender equality today benefits mostly well-to-do people (63%); than those over 55 (37% and 47% respectively).

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