They are calling on Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard to champion their cause by funding equal pay for community sector workers, currently the subject of a national test case before Fair Work Australia.

The newly formed Equal Pay Alliance, which includes 150 organisations, is behind the test case to win fairer pay rates for social and community sector workers who look after the homeless, disabled, refugees and domestic violence victims.

Australian Services Union assistant national secretary Linda White said the test case provided the Government with an opportunity to take decisive action to close the gender pay gap.

''It's hard to believe that in this day and age Australian women, on average, are paid 17per cent less than men,'' Ms White said.

''The problem is, generations of politicians have paid plenty of lip service to equal pay but not enough has been done to bring women's wages up to scratch.''

ACTU president Sharan Burrow demanded all political parties and employers pay more attention to properly valuing women's work.

''The pay gap is still so big that on average women have to work 63 days more a year just to earn the same income,'' Ms Burrow said. ''Over a lifetime, women end up earning on average about $1 million less than a man.''

For more on this story, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.