For some though, the fact that it’s 40 years since Australia first celebrated that milestone might seem like yesterday or yesteryear – or it might seem like an eon.

For the past few years, it is a day that hasn’t captured headlines like it once did, or is doing this year.

However, it’s a salutary lesson to reflect on some female facts.

In Australia, women make up 23 per cent of leadership roles in the country’s top 2000 companies, according to an ISIBWorld analysis – up three per cent from five years ago.

Fairfax economics editor Peter Martin this week has documented the data of women running big businesses – or at least sitting on the boards that do.

Of the 200 biggest public companies on the ASX, more of them are run by men named Peter than by women.

Martin calculated that 13 of those are run by men named Peter. He can only count 12 run by a woman – of any name.

And companies run by a Peter, a Michael, a David or an Andrew outnumber those run by women – by four to one.

And the BRW Rich Women list shows that combined, the top 30 of Australia’s richest self-made women have $5.4 billion. (Mining magnate Gina Rinehart, often said to be the richest woman in Australia, is excluded from the list on the basis of inheriting a lot of her wealth from her father).

The average wealth of the list is $181 million each.

TPG co-founder Vicky Teoh tops the list with $938 million. 

Third on the list is Hazel Rowe, who with her husband, founded Super Cheap Auto. It has 580 stores across Australia, including in Tamworth.

Nicole Kidman has $331 million to her name. Kylie Minogue, Cate Blanchett and Elle Macpherson are other entertainers on the list.

A new entrant this year is Michelle Bridges, whose fitness empire’s expansion saw her wealth rising to $53 million.

Less than a handful of the women made their money from high-powered corporate gigs and the majority of the rich-listers have gained their wealth from entrepreneurial pursuits such as starting their own businesses.

Now consider this too, women are still paid less than men – 18.8 per cent less on average. 

Women are under-represented in Parliament. And, most tragically, in 2015 two women a week are killed by their partner or former partner.

Some might say to women “You’ve come a long way baby.” There’s obviously still a long way to go.