The gender super gap: How gender inequality affects superannuation

24 June 2022

The gender pay gap in Australia is a serious concern. With traditionally more time out of the workforce than men, women have a harder time building their superannuation and the impact needs to be recognised. By shining a light on the issues, AustralianSuper hopes to contribute to a better retirement outcome for women.

A report from Monash University and AustralianSuper in 2017 AustralianSuper looks at the stories of 40 women and their super. The aim was to uncover how gender inequality to date has affected women as they approach retirement, and in retirement. 

At almost 53, and with little superannuation Magda* can’t even contemplate the idea of retirement.

‘They’ll carry me out on a stretcher when I’m probably 93 and die at my desk,’ she says.

It’s a flippant comment, but the harsh reality is many women like Magda are not financially ready for retirement. Meaning they're vulnerable to financial instability or even poverty in retirement. This is due to several factors, including time out of the workplace to care for children or when a relationship has ended in divorce.

Magda is one of 40 women to share her story as part of the Future Face of Poverty is Female report commissioned in 2017 by AustralianSuper to investigate the gender gap in superannuation.

The research concluded Australia’s retirement system doesn’t recognise and reward the unpaid caring work that women do – leaving them vulnerable to poverty in old age. But it’s a complex issue.

According to Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WEGA), some factors that drive the gender pay gap include:

• conscious and unconscious discrimination and bias in hiring and pay decisions 
• women and men working in different industries and different jobs, with female-dominated industries and jobs attracting lower wages
• lack of workplace flexibility to accommodate caring and other responsibilities, especially in senior roles
• high rates of part-time work for women
• women’s greater time out of the workforce for caring responsibilities impacting career progression and opportunities.
• women’s disproportionate share of unpaid caring and domestic work

 

The gender super gap starts with the pay gap

 One of the participants in the AustralianSuper and Monash study, Sarah*, said that at 50 and running her own consultancy she is still experiencing the pay gap. 

I get paid less than men, equivalent men… I don’t charge the same rate as my peers, but I have to justify my rate often,’ she told the Future Face of Poverty is Female report.

‘I will often say to them, ‘so imagine I’m a man, is it still expensive?’

 

The double penalty

Time out of the workforce and returning part-time has a big impact on your superannuation savings, but it can also slow career progression and future earning potential. It’s known as the superannuation ‘double penalty effect’.

It’s something Financial Planner Ling Fang has seen personally and professionally over the course of her career.

‘I’ve experienced it myself, I've had 3 children and the reality is, every time I had a baby I took 12-18 months off to care for them,’ she says.

‘During that time there are some parental payments, but there's no superannuation guarantee paid on them unless, your company has a policy in place to do so, and after a short period of time, there's actually no pay at all.’

When she returned to work, she found herself in a new role, with a lower level of responsibility.

‘There was restructure and I went from a senior Financial planner to a Financial planner,’ says Fang. ‘And then when I had my second maternity break, I was given another junior role, so I could ‘focus on my family’.’

‘The result of time out of workforce means women may find it harder to stay relevant in the ever-changing work landscape,’ says Fang. ‘When they return, they tend to pick up low-skilled work which means lower pay than what they had before.’

 

Divorce and separation

Time out of the workforce for unpaid caring work can leave women vulnerable if there is an unexpected life event like divorce or the death of a spouse.

One in 3 marriages end in divorce, and single women are most at risk of poverty in retirement.

The Future Face of Poverty is Female report found the impact of divorce was particularly significant when career sacrifices were made on the promise of a shared financial future.

The report also found superannuation splitting is often seen as ‘complicated and expensive’ and many forego their rights.

In her role as a financial planner at AustralianSuper Fang often sees mother’s going through divorce, who are struggling to pay the day to day bills.

‘It’s difficult because the main focus of the female's income is dedicated to paying off the mortgage and raising the children,’ says Fang. ‘Retirement seems to be the last thing on their mind at that particular point in time.’

‘Women who divorce later in life suddenly find themselves with half the assets and a mortgage and they may even need to use their super to help pay off the mortgage,’ says Fang.

As women reach retirement age, Fang says many divorced women like Magda, feel they must work well past retirement age to have enough money to get by.

‘They have this ongoing concern that they've got no fall-back plan.’

READ MORE: SEPARATION, DIVORCE AND SUPER (PDF)

 

Taking actions for a better future

While women are at a disadvantage when it comes to retirement savings, there are steps you can take to catch up when you can.

A Women in Super guide developed by AustralianSuper has a range of tools, information and simple steps you can take to help boost your super balance.

‘AustralianSuper has a strong focus on education, and we run seminars targeting women which are presented by financial planners and education managers. We run joint programs with various organisations to present to their female workforce and we run promotions to engage women with their super at an earlier age,’ says Fang. ‘We want women to speak up about their concerns for their financial future,’ she says. ‘It’s not embarrassing and it’s not shameful to review your situation.’

‘It’s never too early or too late, or the situation is too dire to see a financial planner or to take steps to improve your finances.’ says Fang.

 

TAKE CONTROL: WOMAN AND SUPER

*Magda and Sarah are pseudonyms. Their real names are not used in the Future Face of Poverty report to protect their privacy.

 

READ MORE: THE FUTURE FACE OF POVERTY IS FEMALE