For as long as we’ve been measuring women’s economic progress in Australia and the super gap, one pattern has held steady – when the pressure rises, women bend first. They are the shock absorbers of our economy.
Women are more likely than men to absorb cost-of-living shocks by cutting back on essentials like healthcare, step in when childcare or elder care falters, and stretch themselves across both paid and unpaid work to stabilise the families and communities around them.
But the latest Financy Women’s Index (FWX) reminds us that while women have been the economy’s invisible stabilisers, they can not be expected to remain so.
Shock absorption should not depend on gender. A resilient economy is one where pressure is absorbed by strong systems, fair workplaces and dependable care infrastructure, not by women stretching themselves further with each disruption.
This quarter’s FWX offers reasons for optimism. The Index rose to 79.44 points – a new record high – backed by real improvements in the financial foundations that matter most.
The super gap continues to narrow, with the superannuation sub-index lifting by 0.6 points and the projected timeframe to equality falling from 17 years to 13.9.
Underemployment also improved, with the gap between men and women narrowing in a way that speaks to genuine gains in job security and hours worked.
And the national gender pay gap remains at a historic low of 11.5 per cent, reflecting the ongoing impact of transparency reforms and sustained momentum in female-dominated industries.
But the progress comes with signs of fragility. Women’s full-time employment slipped slightly this quarter, while part-time roles increased. National participation, which reached a record 63.5 per cent in July, edged back to 63.3 per cent. And in Melbourne West – the region most directly affected by recent childcare safety failures – women’s participation fell sharply from 67.2 to 65.9 per cent in a single month. These shifts are not minor fluctuations. They reflect a core truth about how tightly women’s economic confidence is anchored to the stability of Australia’s care systems.
When childcare becomes unreliable or aged care difficult to access, women step back from economic participation to look after the kids or their elders.
When costs surge, women adjust their work patterns and take on more unpaid labour. When labour markets soften, women’s access to secure full-time roles becomes more fragile – they are more likely to be substituted into part-time or less secure work. These patterns are not about preference or lifestyle. They are the predictable outcomes of systems that still rely on women to absorb the shocks that should be managed structurally.
What the FWX makes clear is that Australia now stands at a turning point. We know exactly what works: reliable care, predictable flexibility, fair pathways into secure work, and recognition of unpaid labour in the policies that shape lifetime financial security.
We also know that when these elements move in the right direction, women’s participation lifts, their savings grow and their economic contribution expands – strengthening the national economy in the process.
The lesson from this quarter’s FWX is not that women are faltering. It is that women have carried the burden of resilience long enough and that, with intentional investment, the burden itself can finally lessen.
While our progress is real and the momentum is visible, the opportunity now is to design an economy where resilience is structural, not gendered. Equality should not be something women must absorb their way into, but something Australia builds into its foundations.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Natalie Previtera, CEO of NGS Super and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or position of NGS Super. This is general information only and should not be considered as financial advice.
