3.14pm – the time women walked out
That time we downed tools, shut laptops and called out an economic system that rewards men more than women.
On International Women’s Day 2024, women and gender-diverse people across Australia did something powerful: we downed tools, shut our laptops and walked off the job at 3:14pm.
Why? Because 3:14pm represents 78% of the way through the day at which women stop being paid for their full day's work.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) released Gender Pay Gap data for private companies with over 100 employees for the first time in February 2024. For the first time in Australia’s history, employees were able to look up the Gender Pay Gap at their company and see how they stack up.
And the data showed that women are earning just 78 cents to the male dollar – or getting paid nothing after 3:14pm in a typical 9-5 day, compared to men.
The #IWD walkout wasn’t just a moment, it was a movement. Together, we called out an economic system that rewards men more than women in 98% of all occupations. No more smoke and mirrors. No more pretending we don’ have a problem.
What was the walkout trying to achieve?
To call out inequalities in the way women’s work is valued against men’s, Verve called on businesses to take tangible steps towards equality by signing up for our #PayGapPledge.
The #PayGapPledge is a toolkit and digital action designed to help workers, employers and allies take real steps towards closing the gap.
Specifically, we asked them to set measurable goals to close it and commit to one change that can help - such as uplifting parental leave policy or introducing menstrual leave (like we have here at Verve Super), or prioritising equity in hiring and pay policies. All the ways workplaces can take the pledge are outlined in the Verve Toolkit.
And for business leaders wanting to go the extra mile, supporting women and gender-diverse employees to join the #IWDWalkout gave them the opportunity to show they mean business.
For individuals, the walkout was about making noise, sharing the data, and holding our workplaces to account. As the toolkit states: “It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s good business.”
Why it matters
The gender pay gap impacts how much women and gender-diverse people can save, invest and retire with – and dream for the future. It contributes to women retiring with, on average, around 25%
Verve Super has always believed in using the power of money to build a better world. That’s why we stepped up: not just to mark International Women’s Day and increased transparency around gender pay gaps, but to rewrite what it means.
Even though the campaign has ended, the fight for pay equity continues. The Pay Gap Walkout was a reminder that when women and gender-diverse people come together, we are impossible to ignore.
Together, this is our legacy. A record of our rage, resistance and action. A moment when women across the country said ‘enough’.
Because the time for transparency isn’t just 3:14pm. It’s every damn day.