Western Australia has the biggest gap between men's and women's pay in the nation but the Labor state opposition says it will tackle that by ensuring women make up 50 per cent of all public boards and committees.
WA's gender pay gap of 25 per cent compares to 17 per cent nationally and has been higher than the national average for 20 years.
The well-paid and male-dominated resources industry is a major contributor and women are more likely to work in low paid sectors such as health, community services, children's services and education.
However, that does not justify the gap and shows the skills women bring to WA workplaces is not being recognised, says the opposition's women's interests spokeswoman Simone McGurk in an announcement on International Women's Day.
"Girls have the right to expect the same opportunities to achieve their potential just the way boys can and it is incumbent on government to have a range of different policies that ensure that takes place," she told reporters.
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"Policies that ensure women and girls feel safe in their homes, workplaces and communities and ensure pay is equal and women are given the same workplace opportunities."
More women on boards meant better impacts on pay gaps and that was proven by recent research from Curtin University and the federal workplace gender equity agency, Ms McGurk said.
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said that if elected premier next year, he would ensure that as 320 government boards and committees were renewed he would lift the number of women members from 43.6 per cent to 50 per cent.
That would set a lead for the private sector, which was even worse, he said, despite women coming out of universities in equal numbers to men for more than 25 years and now outnumbering men in graduating.
The government's Women's Interest Minister Liza Harvey defended the Coalition's record, pointing out there had been an increase of women on government boards from 32 per cent since being elected in 2008.
