advocating for equality

Equity in super

Why it matters

The super system should enable our members, and all Australians, to retire with confidence. But the system doesn't deliver equally for everyone. Low-income earners, for example, receive fewer super tax concessions than high income earners.

Progress for super tax concessions

After many years of advocacy, in 2025 we welcomed the Government's decision to extend eligibility to the low-income super tax offset (LISTO) to people earning between  and $45,000 per year. This change ensures this important equality measure will continue to work in the way it was intended - so that low-income earners do not pay more tax on their super contributions than on their take-home pay.

40:40 Vision

Why it matters

40:40 Vision is an investor-led initiative, founded by HESTA and supported by Australian and international investors, together with industry partners including the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), Chief Executive Women (CEW), the 30% Club and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

40:40 Vision defines gender balance as 40% women, 40% men and 20% identifying as any gender (40:40:20). The purpose of the initiative is to improve gender balance across ASX300 executive leadership teams (ELT) by 2030.

To drive this change, the initiative calls on companies to:

1. pledge to achieve gender balance (40:40:20) in executive leadership by 2030 
2. declare interim gender balance targets 
3. publicly communicate their commitment and plan to shareholders and other stakeholders 
4. report annually on progress towards targets.

Super on paid parental leave

Why it matters

Paying super on the Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave Scheme helps our members add much-needed dollars to their retirement accounts, narrowing the gender super gap and making Australia’s super system fairer.

We believe all parents should be confident their super can keep growing as their families grow. Until 2025, Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave was the only commonly taken form of paid leave that didn't include super payments. Women take 80%1 of paid primary carers' leave, and this important equity measure will give Australian women's retirement savings a much-needed boost, helping to close the gender super gap.

Progress for super on paid parental leave

• After more than 13 years of tireless campaigning, we were delighted when parliament legislated for super to be paid on the Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave Scheme from 1 July 2025.
  
  
• By paying super on the Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave Scheme, the government has committed to making real progress on boosting women’s financial security in retirement.