For several decades now, the equity policies of the Australian Federal and State governments have emphasised the need for the improvement of educational outcomes for young women, especially in mathematics and physics. A variety of programs were implemented, but what effect has this had? There are some concerns that young males are the new educationally disadvantaged, but this generalisation is not supported by participation rates in high level mathematics at senior secondary school level. This paper draws from a range of studies conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research and others to identify what changes have occurred over time in participation in mathematics in Australian schools.