Why We Celebrate International Women’s Day

The PSA CPSU NSW is proud to celebrate International Women’s Day, a global occasion dedicated to recognising the achievements of women and advancing the fight for gender equality.

International Women’s Day is a time to honour women worldwide and to champion economic empowerment, equal opportunity and fundamental human rights. It is also a moment to reflect on the collective efforts that have driven progress — and to recommit to the work still ahead.

For our union, this day is an opportunity to acknowledge the vital role unions have played in securing rights and protections for women at work. The PSA CPSU NSW has been a trailblazer for women’s rights, leading campaigns for equal pay, equal access to employment opportunities, paid parental leave and job security. We have fought for flexible working arrangements, family and community service leave, lactation breaks, and more recently, 20 days’ paid domestic and family violence leave, along with significant improvements to paid parental leave entitlements.

International Women’s Day also calls on us to confront the inequalities that persist. While the gender pay gap in the NSW public sector sits at 7.2 per cent – significantly lower than the national average of 21.1 per cent – it has increased over the past three years and is now at its highest level in a decade. Women continue to retire with lower superannuation balances than men, and too many workplaces remain unsafe, with unacceptably high levels of sexual harassment.

We must also address the disproportionate impact of domestic and family violence on women and children, the unequal burden of caring responsibilities carried by women, and the ongoing need for secure jobs and genuine access to flexible work. The PSA CPSU NSW is also proud to be fighting for reproductive leave, recognising that women’s health and wellbeing must be supported in the workplace.

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the progress made  and reaffirm our commitment to building fairer, safer and more equitable workplaces for all women.