ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a current picture of women in Australia in relation to their participation in the labour force, the roles they typically fill, their educational achievements and their entrepreneurial activities. Analyses of workforce participation have indicated that people between 5564 years of age reduce their participation in the labour force in all countries. In Australia, there is a clear segmentation of the workforce according to gender, with the majority of women being employed in the areas of health and community services and education. The three most common fields of study for women are management and commerce, followed by society and culture. The chapter explains women's skills, educational qualifications, experience, and acknowledged strengths in the area of management and leadership. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (EOWWA Act) which was known as the Affirmative Action Act, 1986, was designed to focus on the different experiences of men and women in the workforce.
