This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Employers could unlock a lucrative stream of talent by focusing their attention on "good flexibility," according to a new report. Bankwest Curtin Economics Center's analysis of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency's (WGEA) extensive employer dataset shows progress on gender equality has been made in the past decade, but workforce potential and opportunities to improve business performance remain untapped.
"Gender Equity Insights 2026: Unlocking Australia's workforce potential" found women's workforce participation is increasing and women are progressing into management. But the experience across industries is uneven, and women were more likely to resign from leadership positions than men. This "missing middle" reflects a persistent leak in the talent pipeline.
For many employers, it has been a difficult issue to solve. BCEC's analysis shows the key factors associated with women leaving management roles include an uneven distribution of caregiving responsibilities and a lack of flexible work offerings for both women and men at key moments in their careers. Employers with women CEOs and key management personnel are more likely to have flexible workplace strategies, and that is giving them a competitive advantage.
A comparison of ASX employers that report to WGEA found those with more women in leadership consistently outperformed their peers in areas such as market value and investor returns. Report co-author and BCEC director professor Alan Duncan said the findings called for a closer look at the whole career pathway. "Women are being promoted at higher rates than men at several points in the pipeline, yet that advantage disappears by the time we reach the most senior positions," Duncan said.
"Men remain overrepresented in the highest leadership roles, and this is particularly striking in industries where women make up the majority of the workforce. "Promotion rates tell us who is taking the next step. We also need to understand who keeps progressing through successive leadership tiers—and who stays." WGEA CEO Christine Castley OAM said the analysis shows employers where they can make better use of the talent already available to them.
"We know that employers want to attract good people, keep them and see them succeed. This research shows why it is worth looking at the whole talent pipeline: who comes in, who progresses, who stays and who leaves," Castley said. "Women are entering workplaces and progressing into management, but that progress is not necessarily carrying through to the most senior levels.
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