A handmade badge reading ‘Equal Pay Year 1986’

While the introduction of ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ in 1972 was an important step towards equality between the sexes in the workforce, many changes were still required before Australian women moved closer to true pay equality. In 1986 the Australian Government passed the Affirmative Action Act (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women), which requires employers to promote equal opportunity for women in employment.