Despite decades of reform, a gender division persists in Australia’s workforce. Earlier this year, the national gender pay gap in the private sector meant that for every dollar earned by a man, a woman earned just 78 cents.
This divide is even more pronounced in industries like transport, where women made up only 4.5 per cent of CEOs in 2022, which is well below the national average of 20 per cent.
For Associate Professor Emma Robertson, historical research is key to understanding these inequalities.
“Historical research helps us to understand how the gendered division of the labour force has deep roots, how it has been actively sustained over time, and how and when it has been challenged successfully,” she says.
Her research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at La Trobe and Sheffield Hallam University, has discovered long histories of women working in sectors thought to be exclusively male.
“In areas of employment considered to be ‘non-traditional’ for women, there has been very little historical research on how, when, why and with what consequences women have broken down barriers to their employment.”
“We have identified a long history of women working in male-dominated roles on buses, trams, trains and ships, and also in agriculture,” says Dr Robertson. “Yet these stories are rarely told in our labour histories. They hold important clues about the cultural and structural barriers that continue to limit women’s participation and progression in the workforce.”
A recent study, published in the journal Cultural and Social History, explores the historical portrayal and roles of women shepherds in Australia and Britain in the 19th century.
“Women did work with sheep in both Britain and Australia – performing the physically and mentally demanding work of minding, moving and nursing the flock. Yet this economic contribution has rarely been acknowledged,” she says.
Dr Robertson says these male-dominated occupations have often relied on constructed notions of ‘tradition’ to exclude women.
“Cultural dimensions such as perceptions of physical and psychological dangers in the workplace, uniform design, shift structures, and toilet access have also played a role in the gender divide. These factors are often overlooked in gender equity recruitment policies but have a major impact on inclusion and retention.”
She says that making visible the long histories of women working in male-dominated industries is an important means of challenging gender assumptions in the workplace.
“Addressing the ongoing gender division of labour has significant economic implications for Australia, given the persistence of the gender pay gap, but also would bring broader social and cultural benefits associated with more equitable and diverse workforces.”
