New Qld women strategy to address pay gap

The gender equality gap in Queensland is so wide a dedicated strategy is needed to correct it, the state's minister for women says.

Shannon Fentiman on Wednesday launched the Queensland Women's Strategy 2016-21, which aims to target issues like the gender pay gap and increase the number of women in leadership roles.

Ms Fentiman said the gender pay gap was actually higher now than 20 years ago.

"I wish I could say we didn't need a women's strategy here in Queensland," she told AAP.

"But the reality is, it's 2016 and women are still getting paid less, they're retiring with less, they have less opportunities in the workplace and they're much more likely to be subject to violence."

Ms Fentiman said Queensland was one of the only states that didn't have a gender equality strategy.

She said the issue would only be addressed if government, business, industry and the community all pitched in.

Some of the initiatives the strategy contains include developing an audit tool for government and the private sector to assess gender pay inequity and working with employers to develop gender diversity in workplaces.

The strategy will also partner with the private sector to establish a fund to encourage women to enter male-dominated fields and develop ways to help women re-enter the workforce.

"If you don't have a plan to achieve gender equality, it's not going to happen," Ms Fentiman said.