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Gender Equality

Have efforts to address gender inequality in Australia gone too far?

Why meeting people “where they are” is the key to change.

Trailblazer to rejector: Where do you sit on the Australian Gender Compass?

In today’s digital age, we have more visibility of social issues and movements than ever before.

The rise of social media has given us a front-row seat to news and events that once operated in the shadows.

On one hand, this increased exposure has been fantastic for shining a light on important causes, driving shifts in ideals and fostering positive social change.

For example, conversations around mental health, equal pay, diversity and social justice have become more mainstream.

Left credit: @teachusconsent. Center credit: @theequalityinstitute. Right credit: @dremmafulu.

But greater awareness doesn’t always equate to greater acceptance. Change is often confronting – especially when it leads to traditional views or familiar behaviours being questioned.

In the case of gender equality, what often goes overlooked is that patriarchal systems and outdated social norms hurt us all. When these are dismantled, everyone benefits.

The comment section is an obvious example of this tension. Here the diverse opinions people hold – options that, for better or worse, can also influence our views – are visible for everyone to see.

As we sift through these corners of the internet, we encounter trends that either validate our perspectives or embolden our contrasting beliefs.

So, it’s no wonder the political climate feels increasingly polarised.

Credit: @mattxiv

Yet, while online debates often fixate on creating a divide, this spectrum falls short of capturing the complexity of people’s views — particularly on nuanced issues like gender equality.

To complicate matters further, algorithms increasingly create echo chambers, feeding us content that aligns with our online behaviour.

This can limit our exposure to diverse viewpoints, making it harder to break free from our own bubbles to engage with the full range of opinions on key issues.

In such charged environments, it raises the question: Where do most people actually stand?

The Australian Gender Compass

Cue the Gender Compass…

The Gender Compass was developed from a unique segmentation analysis of data gathered through an online survey of 2,522 Australians aged 16 and over, conducted in mid-2023 with support from Minderoo Foundation.

Inspired by the success of the Climate Compass — which has proven to be a powerful tool for understanding public sentiment and crafting targeted communication strategies to generate social change — the Gender Compass segments Australians into six groups based on their beliefs, policy preferences, and behaviours related to gender equality.

The Australian Gender Compass offers a more nuanced way to understand where individuals stand on the topic of gender equality, spanning from progressive “Trailblazers” to conservative “Rejectors.”

It serves as a tool for advocates nationwide, helping them engage in more meaningful conversations about gender equality through a shared framework to build momentum for change.

The six segments of the Gender Compass

Trailblazer

(19% of Australians)

For the Trailblazer segment the issue of gender equality is salient and vital. They are hopeful about the issue and strongly support measures to address inequality yet are also frustrated, concerned, and think equality remains a fair way off. According to the Trailblazer segment, gender equality is everyone’s business. Their strong views are informed by their lived experience of gender inequality, with nearly three quarters reporting personally experiencing these harmful impacts. People belonging to the Trailblazer segment are mainly cis-females, somewhat younger, and are much more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+ and live in regional areas. They are educated, growth-oriented people, who cherish fairness and equality over other values.

Hopeful

(24% of Australians)

Equality is important to the Hopeful segment, they are well aware of the issues and largely support measures to address inequality, but their views and voices are less insistent and less urgent than the Trailblazers. Most have experienced negative impacts because of their gender, mainly relating to caring for home or family. In relation to gender equality, hopefulness is the dominant feeling for this segment, though they also feel concern and a sense of uncertainty. The Hopeful segment are on balance cis-female and tend to be older than the other segments.

Conflicted

(12% of Australians)

Gender equality is important to the Conflicted segment, but action to address it is less so, since they are unaware of many of its impacts and believe we are very close to achieving it. Overall, they feel positive or neutral about gender equality and hold mixed views – both traditional and progressive. This segment see gender equality as an issue for men too. Equality is not a core value, and the Conflicted are the only segment aware that their gender has advantaged them, rather than had negative impacts. The Conflicted segment are mostly younger, cis-males. They tend to be more urban, educated, employed, from a diverse religious or cultural background, and have families.

Moderate

(23% of Australians)

The enthusiasm of the Moderate segment towards the issue of gender equality is restrained. This mildly positive neutrality is evident in their hopeful, content feelings and lukewarm response to change initiatives. For this segment, the importance of the issue is impacted by their lack of awareness of the impacts and their focus on other priorities. Overall, this segment have personally experienced negative impacts of inequality, especially in caring for home and family. Fairness, equality and tolerance however are not values they hold dear – though they do value benevolence. The Moderate segment reflects population demographics, though is slightly more cis-male.

Indifferent

(6% of Australians)

Gender equality is just not on this segment’s radar. Predominant feelings are neutrality or uncertainty, their awareness of the impacts is low, and when it comes to support for specific initiatives most refrain from expressing a view either for or against. Gender inequalities have had a negative impact on far fewer than in any other segment. This segment is the least likely to value equality and fairness and the most likely to value fun and loyalty. The Indifferent segment are the smallest. They are similar to population demographics, except for their lower levels of education.

Rejector

(17% of Australians)

The Rejector segment believe gender equality is a non-issue and change for equality for women has gone too far. It is men’s experience of gender discrimination they are concerned with (yet may not express openly). They feel neutral or content about gender equality, are broadly unaware of its impacts and are the least supportive of any change. Some report experiencing negative mental health impacts as a result of their gender. The Rejector segment tend to be cis-males, have been educated at TAFE/college, be slightly older, and based outside cities. This is the segment most likely to value respecting tradition, rules and norms, freedom and economic security.

More information at www.plan.org.au

“It is a pulse check, but it is also a wake-up call, because the impacts of gender inequality are still invisible to too many Australians.”

Susanne Legena, CEO, Plan International

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Seven findings you might find interesting

You can explore the key findings and conclusions of the Gender Compass below, including areas of strong community support, traditional beliefs that persist, and barriers to taking action.

1. There was widespread community support for gender equality

Survey findings show that the community overwhelmingly recognises the importance of Australian women having the same rights, opportunities and outcomes as men, believing that everyone benefits from a society that is fair to all genders.

90% of research participants considered gender equality to be important.
77% agreed that we all benefit from a society that is fair to all genders.
72% were in favour of actions being taken by individuals, businesses and/or governments to improve gender equality in Australia.

2. Impacts of inequality are invisible to some

Some in the community don’t believe in:

gender discrimination in the workplace,
the gender pay gap,
or that medical research has historically prioritised men’s health over women’s.

Many also don’t see how their gender has affected them personally or recognise current gender inequality as an issue.

Almost 1 in 10 people (9%) were unaware or denied the existence of several key outcomes of gender inequality in Australia. While most were aware of at least one, few knew all seven.

These outcomes of inequality that are true in Australia today include:

On average, there is a difference between the overall earnings of women and men (i.e. there is a gender pay gap).
Senior roles in business and industry remain largely occupied by men.
Senior roles in business and industry remain largely occupied by men.
Medical research has studied men’s health far more than women’s health.
Older women are one of the fastest-growing groups of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
If you consider physical and non-physical forms of violence, violence against women is extremely common.
In homes where there are women and men, women do the majority of unpaid domestic work.

3. Traditional gender roles remain entrenched in pockets of the community

One in four Australians believe biological differences make women better suited to caring and domestic roles, while men are more suited to leadership in politics and business. Although these views vary across the community, some strongly reject the concept of gender equality based on this belief.

58% agreed that some jobs are naturally suited to men, and some are naturally suited to women
44% agreed that some areas of study are naturally suited to boys, and some are naturally suited to girls
25% of participants agreed that families function best when mothers do the caring and fathers earn the income
29% agreed that equality doesn’t make sense when there are basic biological differences between males and females

4. Some believe gender equality efforts have already gone too far in one direction

Some respondents believe that efforts to advance women’s equality have gone too far, negatively impacting men. They believe men are overlooked in the pursuit of equality, with men also facing gender-based discrimination.

27% of respondents believed that when it comes to making things fairer for women, things have gone too far.

5. Broad community support for domestic and financial equality and for reproductive rights

The community shows strong support for actions that improve gender equality, particularly in areas such as:

Equal sharing of domestic work
Preventing financial insecurity for women due to family or caregiving roles
Protecting women’s reproductive rights
Prioritising medical research on women’s health
Improving wages and conditions in female-dominated care sectors
Creating more family-friendly workplace systems and cultures

6. Gender equality is not currently a salient, priority issue for many

This research highlights several barriers preventing individuals from taking action, or further action, to support gender equality.

The main obstacles include:

Lack of issue salience: Gender equality isn’t a topic that people frequently encounter or consider.
Competing agendas: While many Australians see gender equality as important, they aren’t prioritising it.
Lack of social opportunity: People are hesitant to raise the issue, fearing conflict or confrontation.
Uncertainty: Many aren’t sure what actions would make a meaningful difference.

7. Different people need different messages

The research highlights significant variation in attitudes, knowledge, feelings, and support for gender equality across the community, showing the need for a targeted approach to communication.

The Gender Compass segmentation is essential for addressing these differences and effectively engaging different groups within the Australian community.

For example, while Trailblazers respond best to urgent calls for action, Rejectors require non-confrontational, respectful dialogue to challenge misconceptions and promote understanding.

Final thoughts: Australian Gender Compass

To echo the sentiment of Plan International CEO, Susanne Legena, in the fight for gender equality, we can’t afford to be anything other than targeted and strategic.

The Gender Compass is an invaluable tool for advocates, enabling us to be exactly that—transforming how we engage the community in meaningful conversations and collaborate to drive real change.

With the help of the Gender Compass, Minderoo aims to help forge a fair future for all and accelerate progress, because 130 years is far too long to wait for gender equality.

Where do you fall on the Gender Compass? Let us know at our socials.

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