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Australia's $128b Productivity Gap: Multinationals Say Gender Equality Is Key to Closing It

Abundium

Key Facts:

• Gender inequality costs the Australian economy $128 billion annually
• Over 350 business leaders will gather at the Women in Multinationals Summit 2025 to address gender equality and productivity challenges
• The summit will feature prominent speakers including Layne Beachley AO, Deanne Stewart, and executives from major corporations like Coca-Cola and Woolworths Group

Australia’s $128b Productivity Gap: Multinationals Say Gender Equality Is Key to Closing It

Summit of 350+ leaders to put equality at the heart of the productivity debate

Sydney, 30 October 2025. Gender inequality is costing the Australian economy $128 billion every year—about 7% of GDP—according to the Australian Government’s Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce. Economists warn that without bold action, the nation risks falling further behind global competitors. Increasingly, business and government leaders agree on a solution hiding in plain sight: gender equality.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared women’s equality a cornerstone of Labor’s economic plan. Multinationals—employing over one million Australians—are also stepping up to lead change. On 6 November, more than 350 CEOs, HR directors and senior leaders will gather at the Women in Multinationals (WIM) Summit 2025, hosted by Abundium, to put equality at the centre of Australia’s productivity debate.

“Multinationals in Australia have a unique opportunity to accelerate change locally and globally,” said Rich Hirst, Co-founder & CEO, Abundium. “Global companies often lead the way on inclusion practices and policies that local companies can also adopt. Australia is also a market where global companies test progressive new thinking before taking it worldwide.”

The scale of the challenge is stark. Gender inequality costs the economy $128 billion annually (Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce). Only 10% of ASX 300 CEOs are women, nearly half of companies have no female successors in the pipeline, and McKinsey estimates workplace parity is still 50 years away. Globally, the World Economic Forum warns it could take 123 years to close the gender gap. There is, however, reason for hope: among Abundium’s multinational community, 30% of CEOs are women. “There’s still work to do, but progress is being made,” Hirst said.

“WIM is where we move from insight to action,” added Dani Matthews, Co-founder, Abundium. “I’ve seen firsthand how bold leadership transforms cultures. This summit is about leaders stepping up together, making the changes that unlock talent and build the kind of workplaces Australia needs to thrive.”

The summit will showcase influential voices shaping Australia’s future, including Layne Beachley AO (Awake Academy), Deanne Stewart (CEO, Aware Super), Jude Batrac (Director of People and Culture Coca-Cola) and Tracey Fellows (Non-Executive Director, Woolworths Group).

They will be joined by leaders such as Dr Kellie Nuttall (Former AI Institute, Deloitte), Paul Zahra (Patron, Pride in Diversity) and John Lydon (Australian Climate Leaders’ Coalition), alongside senior executives from Crestcom, LEGO, Randstad and Insight.

Multinationals are some of Australia’s largest employers and most globally connected enterprises. By embedding equity into leadership pipelines, workplace policies and cultural norms, they can lift performance, import global best practice and help close Australia’s productivity gap.

The WIM Summit is the only platform in Australia dedicated to tackling gender equality at this level—reinforcing that it is not a women’s issue; it’s everyone’s business.

Event Details

What: Women in Multinationals Summit 2025
When: Thursday, 6 November 2025
Where: Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney
Who: 350+ CEOs, HR Directors, senior leaders, DEI champions and male allies from across Australia’s multinational business community
More info: https://info.abundium.com/wim-2025

About us:

Abundium is Australia’s only cross-industry network for foreign-owned multinationals, representing 10,000+ companies and one million Australian jobs. Its community of more than 1,000 senior executives and 60 not-for-profit partners connects leaders across industries. Abundium’s mission is to make multinational growth easier by helping local leaders accelerate performance and impact.

Contact details:

Media are invited to attend the event and for registration or interviews with Abundium co-founders Rich Hirst and Dani Matthews or speakers please contact Randal Killip — 0425 714 159 — [email protected].