Ms Broderick, who is stepping down after eight years in her role on Friday, said she is broadly "optimistic" about the future of gender equality in Australia.

But equality would not be achieved until the gender pay gaps were narrowed, she said

"I haven't seen much progress on pay equality. That in 2015, women earn 18.8 per cent less for work that is equal or comparable level to men is totally unacceptable," she said.

"It's an area we need some greater focus ... the fact is the government plays a role in this, but business can also step up too."

Ms Broderick established the Male Champions of Change group in 2010 – a high-profile forum comprising 21 male executives, including ASX Elmer Funke Kupper, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and the Commonwealth Bank's Ian Narev.

The group was set up to strengthen gender equality policies that encourage female leadership through targets, flexible work arrangements for men and women and reporting on gender issues.

Australia was "still some way off" achieving gender equality at work, Ms Broderick said, and it was crucial that men joined women in the fight for change. They could start doing this by sharing unpaid domestic work with their female partners.

"I've always said that if there was one thing I could achieve as Sex Discrimination Commissioner, it would be better sharing of paid and unpaid work between men and women … it is critical to advancing gender equality in Australia," she said.

"To rely solely on women to create change is illogical. Women don't hold the levers of power in society, so we need men to step up beside us and I'm seeing some breakthrough."

Ms Broderick, who is also Ambassador for the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children, said high numbers of domestic violence cases in Australia was an ongoing concern while she was Commissioner.

"That two Australian women are murdered by their partner or someone they know well every week is beyond belief.

"You don't just need to look at Pakistan, Afghanistan and the PNG for violence against women. It's happening in our own backyard."

But Ms Broderick applauded the federal government for announcing a $100 million "Second Action Plan" to reduce domestic violence in Australia, which extended on policies by the former Gillard government.

In April 2011 the government appointed Ms Broderick to lead the Commission's review into the treatment of women in the Australian Defence Force, and she has worked with the Australian Defence Force on embedding cultural change across the navy, army and air force.

Ms Broderick was appointed for a five-year term as Sex Discrimination Commissioner in September 2007 and her term was extended in 2011.