Background to women's opportunity statement

The opportunities presented to women have grown dramatically over the past 50 years, from the major decisions in the 1970s to introduce subsidised childcare and grant women equal pay for work of equal value, through to the landmark investments in women’s safety and security in the 2021-22 Commonwealth Budget.

New South Wales has pioneered many reforms to improve the lives of women, including taking a leadership role in the development of affirmative consent laws and being the first state to provide paid miscarriage leave for public service employees.   

Despite this progress, there are still ongoing barriers that limit women’s opportunities throughout their lifetimes. This part of the Statement sets out the background to a number of these barriers.

The number of NSW women in the workforce has increased significantly. Despite this progress, there are still barriers that limit women's opportunities.