Research and Data

OfW commissions and conducts research about issues that affect women. Our policy advice to Government is based on this evidence. OfW also compiles data on milestones for women, and publishes a series of statistical publications.

Domestic and family violence

Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse

The Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse is a user-friendly searchable database that provides a collection of information on Australian and relevant international domestic violence policies, practices and research.

The Clearinghouse produces issues papers on in depth research as well as newsletters on publications and projects.

Publications and research papers are available free of charge for order through the website by phone (02 9385 2990), or email the Clearinghouse (clearinghouse@unsw.edu.au).

The Clearinghouse is delivered by the Centre for Gender-Related Violence Studies at the University of New South Wales with funding from the Office for Women.

Women, Domestic Violence and Homelessness: A Synthesis Report

The Synthesis Report investigates the support and accommodation needs of women (and children) affected by domestic and family violence. It finds that there is no one solution to domestic and family violence related homelessness. There is also no easy to roll out solution. This is because there is no one pathway into homelessness for all women affected by domestic and family violence and many women cycle in and out of homelessness and crisis accommodation.

Sexual Assault

Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA)

Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault provides access to current information and resources for those working against sexual assault. ACSSA helps to support and develop strategies that aim to prevent, respond to, and ultimately reduce the incidence of this crime.

ACSSA is delivered by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) with funding from the Office for Women.

Australian Institute of Criminology

Research by the Australian Institute of Criminology to provide research on various aspects of sexual assault can be downloaded below:

Indigenous Women

Young Indigenous Women's Pathways from School to Paid Employment

Current research is investigating the aspirations of young Indigenous women while identifying barriers, opportunities or pathways as they move from education to paid work. The impact of educational decisions on employment outcomes will also be investigated. Outcomes of the research will provide evidence to inform policy initiatives on education to employment transition for Indigenous women. The research relates to economic security and participation of Indigenous women, a priority for the Government.

Community Participation

Women's Roles in Community Leadership

This study investigates the representation of women in leadership roles and identifies barriers to women achieving such positions in non-profit organisations.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women's Participation in Sport and Recreation

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are consistently under-represented in the number of applicants for Sport Leadership Grants. In 2006 OfW funded a research project to identify barriers and strategies to improve these women's participation in sport.

Milestones for Women in Australian Society

Feedback, including additions and corrections to the milestones, is welcome and should be sent by email to the Office for Women (women@fahcsia.gov.au).

Australian Parliamentary Library Website - Women in Politics

The Australian Parliamentary Library website contains information on women in politics. This ranges from historical information on women's suffrage to women sitting in current Australian governments. This page also includes the publication, Composition of Australian Parliaments by Party and Gender  which is regularly updated.

Women in Australia - statistical series

The Women in Australia Publication Series contains a range of statistics and commentary regarding the status of women in key areas including their working lives and economic resources, education and training, safety, health, and family and living arrangements. It uses published and unpublished statistics and research findings from a range of sources. The series is highly regarded as a comprehensive resource on gender statistics.

Global Recession

There is widespread and increasing interest in the impact of the global recession on Australian men, women and families. The Office for Women has produced an analysis that examines Australian Bureau of Statistics' labour force data between July 1990 and July 1995, the period spanning the 1990-1991 economic downturn and subsequent recovery. The purpose of the analysis is to identify what factors differentially influenced men's and women's economic outcomes.


The Gender Pay Gap - ABS Employee Earnings and Hours Survey

The latest available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Average Weekly Earnings Survey (the AWE Survey) point to a steady increase of the gender pay gap in Australia over the last four to five years. While the AWE Survey is the most frequent and commonly used source of data for measuring the gender pay gap in Australia, it provides only limited scope for exploring possible explanations for the widening of the gap. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours Survey (the EEH Survey) is an important alternative source of data for measuring and analysing trends in the gender pay gap in Australia as it provides more disaggregated and detailed data than those in the AWE Survey, allowing more scope for analyses of potential underlying trends. The EEH Survey is an employer-based survey conducted once every two years, providing detailed statistics on the composition and distribution of employee earnings, paid hours of work and methods of setting pay.

The Office for Women has used the EEH survey in a new paper: The Gender Pay Gap - ABS Employee Earnings and Hours Survey.


The impact of a sustained gender wage gap on the Australian economy

The persistence of the gender wage gap in Australia and overseas has been the subject of much research. Debates about how best to measure the wage gap, how to calculate the relative contribution different factors make to the gap, and how the gap and its determinants differ across sectors and income levels abound. However, few if any studies, and none for Australia, provide a comprehensive and detailed account of the impact of the gender wage gap to economic growth. This paper seeks to provide such an account, with our research presented in the body of this paper, and our key findings summarised.

 

Content Updated: 7 June 2012