Top insurers have been recognised by the Commonwealth Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), receiving recognition for an active commitment to achieving equality for women.

NRMA was one of 17 new organisations to receive a WGEA citation this year, joining the existing 119 citation holders named in 2019-20, when Allianz, Suncorp and TAL were awarded, as were Challenger, Genworth and Medibank. All these insurance businesses have held the citations for a number of years, headed by Allianz’s 12 years.

TAL says it is recognition of its efforts to maintain pay equity for all roles and undertake a regular pay gap analysis.

“We are honoured to be recognised for our ongoing efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive culture so our people can contribute fully and with passion for our customers, partners, colleagues and the community,” TAL Group CEO & MD Brett Clark said.

TAL’s gender equality initiatives include working to achieve greater numbers of women in senior leadership roles, flexible working options, offering domestic violence support and parental leave benefits with continued paid superannuation and insurance coverage for 12 months and guaranteed flexible working options for six months after returning to work.

“These commitments are a key part of our strategy, culture and values, and we will ensure that they remain at the forefront of all business practices,” Mr Clark says. “A diverse and inclusive work environment benefits everyone.”

As the world marks International Women’s Day today, the latest data shows Australia's national gender pay gap dropped to 13.4%, a decline of 0.6 percentage points in the past six months but still a difference on average of $242.20 per week between women and men.

On average, women working full-time earned $1562.00 while men working full-time earned $1804.20.

NRMA says it will build a strong pipeline of female talent across the “traditionally male dominated industries we operate in” to ensure a competitive and sustainable future for its business.

“There are limitless benefits to building a business culture around inclusivity,” NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund said. “It is the ultimate competitive advantage.”