Media Release – Dress for Success, 18 August 2025
No equal pay without addressing the ‘confidence gap’
This Equal Pay Day, Dress for Success (DFS) Tasmania says a critical missing piece must be addressed to help women achieve pay parity: the ‘confidence gap’, an invisible barrier which continues to hold many women back.
Equal Pay Day landed on 19 August this year, [Editor: with hardly a whimper] signifying the 50 extra workdays women need to add to the financial year to match men’s average earnings for 2024-25.
It highlights the gender pay gap, which is the difference between the average pay of women and men across organisations, industries and the workforce as a whole.
DFS Tas CEO Amanda French says while the onus is on employers to provide equal pay for equal work, women also need the skills and confidence to advocate for themselves when applying for a job, preparing for an interview, knowing their worth and negotiating pay and promotions.
“We are at the coalface and see the confidence gap every day,” French said.
“When talking about equal pay, we can’t leave the importance of confidence and self-belief out of the conversation.
It is particularly a factor when women are seeking to rebound from challenging and complex circumstances such as a career break – often for care roles which are mostly taken by women – illness, financial stress or social disadvantage.
“In Tasmania, rates of women’s participation in the workforce remain below the national average. Lifting female participation in the paid workforce is critical for women’s economic independence, and Tasmania’s economy more broadly.
“Highlighting the confidence gap is not about deflecting focus from employers and putting an even greater burden on women – it’s about arming women with the tools they need to seek employment and succeed at the negotiating table.”
French said DFS Tasmania was proud of its progress to boost women’s workplace confidence and participation.
“Dress for Success provides career resources, styling, clothing, interview tips and workshops to support women in their career development – and we get to see the tangible impact of those efforts firsthand.
“We support more than 500 Tasmanian women each year. After engaging with us, 54 per cent of clients secured full or part-time work, and 37 per cent increased their paid income.”
DFS client Kelly Rogers benefited from career support and styling services to land a job in the finance industry and professional outfits to kickstart her employment.
“Dress for Success gave me the skills and confidence to apply for the job and prepare for the interview, and I was fortunate enough to get the position that I applied for,” Rogers said.
“The combination of a new job and a new wardrobe has made me feel a lot more confident.”
As part of Equal Pay Day, DFS Tasmania is asking people to donate or attend one of their regular fundraising events to support the charity’s life-changing services.
“Donating an hour of your pay can help boost a woman’s confidence and support more Tasmanian women into the workforce,” said French.
“When women feel confident, they apply. They negotiate. They step forward. And that changes everything, not just for them, but for their families, workplaces, and communities.
“Equal pay is about more than numbers. It’s about dignity, belief, and opportunity. Let’s close the confidence gap and help women take their next step with strength.”
About Equal Pay Day
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Feb 2025), men working full-time earn $2,072.20 per week, while women earn $1,826.40.
That’s an hourly pay gap of $48 or a weekly gap of $246.30.
Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency data shows the gender pay gap in the private sector stands at 21.8%, in the public sector it is 6.4%, while just 21.9% of CEOs in Australia are women.
The agency says the three main contributors to Australia’s gender pay gap are gender discrimination; care, family responsibilities and workforce participation; and gender segregation by job type and industry.
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