Women Students Celebrate Suffrage Day

Women Students Celebrate Suffrage Day and Continue to Fight for Change

Women students around New Zealand will be pushing the pay equity message today, dressed in late 19th century costume to celebrate 110 years of women's suffrage.

"Suffrage Day is a wonderful day to pay homage to our world leading suffragettes and to continue the work of New Zealand's suffragettes through pushing for the equitable society they always envisaged," said Camilla Belich, National Women's Rights Officer for the New Zealand University Students' Association (NZUSA).

"If Kate Sheppard was around today she wouldn't be sitting around thinking how marvellous it is that we have a female Prime Minister - she would be actively trying to address the residual inequities women continue to face in New Zealand."

"Women in New Zealand, on average, still only earn 84% of the average earnings of a man and take on average twice as long to repay their student loans -110 years and we still haven't got it right," said Belich. "We also support the campaign being launched today by the New Zealand Nurses' Organisation for more pay for this crucial and largely female workforce."

Auckland University women will be attending classes in late 19th century costume and distributing pay equity information in the Auckland University Quad from 10am-12noon. Costumed Wellington students will be spreading the pay equity message at 12:30 in the Victoria University Quad. Similar activities will take place in Hamilton, and in Dunedin there will be a Reclaim the Night March, organised by a coalition of women's groups.

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