International Women’s Day (IWD) is held on 8 March each year. It is more than is more than a single day of celebration. It is a month-long opportunity to reflect on achievements, recognise barriers, and take action to accelerate gender equality.
Everyone can participate - individuals, workplaces, schools, universities, community groups, and government agencies. Activities can range from attending events and sharing inspiring stories to running workshops and promoting inclusive practices in workplaces.
The Western Australian Government supports gender equality through Stronger Together: WA’s Plan for Gender Equality, which provides a framework for government, business, and the community to take meaningful action. Since its release, Stronger Together has delivered two action plans and 148 initiatives across WA Government, supporting women in workplaces, education, health, justice, and the community. Key initiatives include:
- Implementation of a permanent Gender Equality Clause in government procurement
- Policies to promote women’s leadership and workplace inclusion
- Programs targeting economic independence and career opportunities for women
Statistics for Western Australian women
While progress has been made, women in Western Australia continue to face barriers across economic, leadership, health, and safety outcomes.
Economic Independence
- The gender pay gap in WA was 19.6% as at May 2025
- Women’s labour force participation in Perth: 64.6% (men: 74.7%, 2024)
- Average hours spent on unpaid care and housework: 30.2 hours/week (men: 21.8 hours)
- Women represent 69% of those unable to work due to lack of child-care
Leadership
- Women hold 51% of Senior Executive Service positions in the WA public sector (September 2025)
- 52% of government-appointed boards and committees are women (June 2025)
- Women judges in WA’s top courts: 52% in the Magistrates Court, higher than most other states
Health and Wellbeing
- Average life expectancy: 85.8 years for all women; 72.6 years for Aboriginal women (2020–22)
- Nearly 28% of women experience common mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, stress-related), compared with 14.2% of men
Safety and Justice – Sexual Violence
- Around 1 in 4 women have experienced sexual violence since age 15
- 1 in 8 women experienced sexual abuse before age 15
- Up to 97% of sexual violence incidents may not be reported to police
- Sexual offences have the lowest conviction rates of all offence types
Workplace Harassment
- 13.4% of women reported sexual harassment in 2021–22
- Some industries experiencing higher rates of sexual harassment including in male dominated industries as well as retail and hospitality sectors
For more data on the status of women in WA, explore the Data Insights Platform and the 2022 Women's Report Card.
IWD 2026 key messages
Key messages to share on International Women's Day.
- International Women’s Day (IWD) is held on 8 March each year, with events and activities taking place across the globe. It celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
- International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on the gains we have made toward gender equality – and recognise that major change is still required.
- Balancing the Scales reminds us that Equality is not about advantage for some; it’s about dignity, safety and fairness for all
- This International Women’s Day, we can all play a part in accelerating gender equality and creating a better, fairer and more equitable community in Western Australia.
- Gender equality won’t happen just because we want it to. Changing culture takes time and it is essential that we keep 'balancing the scales' for all women and girls.
- Hashtags: #IWD2026 #BalanceTheScales
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