Women in charge
New Zealand Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) figures show 22 of New Zealand’s 78 (28.2%) council chief executives are female. Three years ago, there were 14 female chief executives (17.9%) and seven years ago there were eight (10.2%). The Central Otago District Council is one of only five in New Zealand, and the only one in Otago and Southland, to have had consecutive female chief executives. Of the SOLGM ‘‘tier two’’ managers (who report directly to the chief executive) 40.8% are women.
In other Southern councils, the percentages of women in executive and manager/team leader positions are:
Waitaki District Council: executive level 33% (two out of six), manager/team leader 38% (eight out of 21). Clutha District Council: no female executives (out of four), manager/team leader 50% (8 out of 16).
Queenstown Lakes District Council: executive level 16% (one out of six), manager/team leader 45% (25 out of 55). Dunedin City Council: executive level 42% (three out of seven, including chief executive Sue Bidrose), manager/team leader 47% (56 out of 117). Southland District Council: executive level 42% (three out of seven), manager/ team leaders 43% (10 out of 23). Australasian Local Government Performance Excellence Program data shows the proportion of women in chief executive and tier 2 local government roles is higher in New Zealand than in Australia. However, New Zealand councils are more likely to contract out some services, and those services may be more ‘‘maledominated’’ occupations such as water engineers, etc.
The Grant Thornton ‘‘International 2018 Women in Business’’ report showed the proportion of women in senior management teams had hit ‘‘an alltime low’’ of 18% (the report began in 2004, when women made up 31% of those in senior management teams). The number of businesses with no women in senior management roles had increased to 56% in 2018, compared with 37% the previous year. But the report said there was ‘‘compelling’’ evidence of the link between gender diversity and commercial success.