There are some amazing women out there – in your family, your workplace and your neighbourhood. We should celebrate the women in our life every day.

This year’s campaign theme, ‘Breaking the bias’, asked us to focus on the significant bias which makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Simply acknowledging that this bias exists is not enough. Collectively, we need to call out discrimination and stereotyping and aim for gender equality.

In Australia, 1 in 3 women have experienced violence or sexual harassment since the age of 15. On average, women spend more time in unpaid work than men and are more likely to live below the poverty line. The risk of homelessness in older women in Australia is significantly increasing. On average, women retire with approximately 20-40% less superannuation than men. Our federal parliament is comprised of fewer than a third of women – these are people making the decisions for our country.

While there has been significant progress with equality, a lot more needs to be done. On average, women continue to be paid less than their male counterparts and continue to have significantly lower representation on boards. In 2020, women across the country worked nearly two months more to earn the same, on average, as men.

Is this the world you want for your wife, your daughter, your mother, your sister, or your friend? Health care, social services and education continue to be dominated by women and tend to be lower paid than male dominated industries. These are the people caring for our loved ones. Should we be OK with this?

Imagine a gender equal world - a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality – collectively we can all take action to ‘break the bias’. We are all responsible for making this change together.

As published in The Advertiser's Boomer lift-out on 14 March.