9 August 2013

National sets poor example for women leadership roles

The number of women on state appointed boards has declined under this National Government, the Green Party said today.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs today released their latest Gender Stocktake of State Sector Boards and Committees, which is done yearly to monitor the number of women appointed by the government to state sector boards and committees. The latest figures show that the percentage of women on state appointed boards has dropped to 40.5% from 41.1% last year. In 2008, when National first took office, the total number of women in these positions was 1153. It is now 1059.

“This National Government is not ambitious for women. Government has a role to play in setting a leadership example, but it is not doing that,” said Green Party women’s spokesperson Jan Logie.

“This bad news is on top of the Government’s decision last year to lower their target for women on state appointed boards from 50% to 45% by 2014.

“It seems Women’s Affairs Minister Jo Goodhew has simply hoped that the target will be met, without any visible strategy.

“The Minister herself even used her one appointment opportunity to select a man to the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women.

“The Human Rights Commission’s concern that a lack of ambition generally equates to a lack of progress for women has indeed been proven true.

“If the Government can’t achieve a significantly lowered target for boards they control appointments for, then we are really in trouble.

“New Zealand women deserve equality. They also deserve leadership and a real strategy from the Minister to achieve it.”

Link to the Ministry’s Report - http://mwa.govt.nz/sites/mwa.govt.nz/files/MWA%20Gender%20Stocktake-v5_0.pdf

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