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Two practitioners have shed light on their experiences as women in accounting, highlighting a need to address discrepancy in the profession.
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Addressing the discrepancy: Why supporting women in accounting is paramount for the profession
03 December 2021
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11 minute read
For Sonya Jacobsen, the notion of a pay difference between men and women in accounting is very much alive and well. Speaking in a soon-to-be-released white paper, the director of Your Bookkeeping Angel said she has experienced it throughout much of her tenure in the profession.
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“There is a pay difference between the sexes. I saw it managing pay runs 20 years ago and I see it today helping clients through their own payroll. Even when I started my business 14 years ago, I didn’t think I deserved to charge the same rates as a man would charge," Ms Jacobsen said.
“It’s not just about being paid less than men. Women are treated differently in the workplace, too. For a long time, I focused on my masculine side when dressing. It took many years for me to emphasise my feminine side, dress with colour and raise my prices.”
Women are typically under-represented as partners and top executives, Ms Jacobsen added, prompting a need for greater support services.
“The rise to leadership often requires a sponsor,” she explained.
“This involves someone putting their professional reputation on the line to advocate for a colleague, which can be a hurdle for women. I would like to see a mentorship program for women who want to become partners in a firm and progress up the ranks.”
A similar sentiment rings true for Palfreyman Chartered Accountants’ principal Simone Palfreyman.
Whilst Ms Palfreyman has been widely successful, working at the big four, teaching at university and running her own firm, all while juggling family responsibilities, she said she’s noticed discrepancies in the way male and female accountants are treated.
“Early on in my career, I found women were not offered the same opportunities as their male colleagues and entirely different things were expected from them. At that time, the partners of the large accounting firms were all males. Women were not promoted past senior accountant,” Ms Palfreyman said.
“I was expected to be a hostess, not a professional,” she added, noting a particular experience where she was asked to pour coffee during a client meeting when she was working as a tax adviser.
Treating staff as equals should be a top priority for firms, Ms Palfreyman said. Doing so will go a long way in addressing the divide between sexes.
“Everyone’s thoughts are valued and they have the opportunity to initiate change. There are no hierarchical barriers. This inclusive approach fosters innovation, increases productivity and enhances the staff culture,” she said, speaking of her own firm.
“I would like to see more accounting firms embracing this approach.
“There has been a significant improvement over the last decade. But more flexibility is required.”
To address gender equality in the accounting industry, Intuit QuickBooks has partnered with Accountants Daily for a webcast. The webcast will unpack recent research speaking to the challenges women in accounting face, and tackle the big issues like addressing the gender pay gap, the barriers to leadership faced by men and women, the need for flexible work, technology and support needed from government and professional bodies.
The webcast will feature Shaye Thyer, head of accounting at Intuit QuickBooks; Aly Garrett, founder, All in Advisory; Peter McCarthy, owner, Precision Taxation & Accounting; Matthew Rowan, practice solutions expert at Dext; and Joe Consedine, general manager, member engagement at CA ANZ.
The webcast will be held on Thursday (9 December 2021) between 2pm and 3pm AEDT.
To register for the webcast, click here.
Registering for the webcast will also give you the opportunity to go in the running to win 2x tickets to the Women in Finance Awards on Friday (10 December 2021). Now in its fifth year, the Women in Finance Awards is a national awards program, principal partnered by Intuit QuickBooks, designed to recognise the outstanding achievements of women influencing the Australian finance industry.
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