The life cycle of women’s employment in Australia and inequality markers

This chapter reviews the life cycle of women’s employment in Australia, arguing that while women’s labour force attachment has shifted and increased significantly in the last 40 years, it still does not match male employment patterns over the life cycle and around which our policy framework was constructed. The result of this is a number of inequality markers between genders. Three of these inequality markers are examined: working hours, pay and superannuation. The causes and interconnections between them are discussed as they relate to the four life phases we identify.