Australia faces a serious challenge. Despite important progress on gender equality over recent decades, a looming crisis now threatens the economic security of older women. Without urgent and bold action, we risk consigning further generations of women to poverty in retirement.

A repost from 7 October 2025

This week, the Super Members Council launched a new report laying bare the structural and life-course factors driving us towards the crisis. It is a wake-up call for all policymakers.

Gender super gap still too wide

The numbers are stark. Women today retire with a shocking 25% less super than men – or $51,000 less by the time they are 60-64. And women are around 10% more likely to have no super at all.

This gap is not merely a legacy of the past; it’s a living reality for hundreds of thousands of women across Australia approaching retirement today. Single older women who are renting are most at risk.

Historically, the gender super gap has been attributed to lower workforce participation, and the gender pay gap – with women still doing the lion’s share of taking time out of paid work to care for children.

Later life events a key driver of economic insecurity

But in a compelling new insight, this new research finds that........

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