Australian female executives pushed for the government to make costly childcare and nanny services tax deductible. By doing that, there would be more women available for employed, while those already working could have more opportunities for promotion.

Chief Executive Women (CEW), which counts the 200 top female executives in Australia, estimated childcare in Sydney for a family with two kids would cost parents $500 weekly or $50,000 yearly.

"Tax deductibility for childcare would send an important social and economic message of endorsement for working women," CEW spokeswoman Belinda Hutchinson said in a statement.

Australian Council of Trade Unions President Ged Kearney supported the executives' idea, but suggested means testing to ensure tax deduction would benefit only families who cannot afford the cost or are struggling to pay for childcare.

Research by the U.K. charities Save the Children and Daycare Trust found that for two third of British families childcare cost is at about the same level as mortgage or rent payments. Low income families would have to cut their food expenses to afford childcare which led 58 per cent of survey respondents to say that they would rather not work than pay for costlier childcare services.