WHAT WOMEN WANT

A career, ca a house – and a baby comes third

FORGET the husband and 2.5 kids: a home to call our own and the financial security to pay for it are top of the agenda for today’s women.

In fact, according to a Westpac Women of New Zealand survey, being financially independent is the main goal, with 43 per cent of the more than 1000 women surveyed ranking that at the top, ahead of the next highest, home ownership, on 14 per cent.

That compares with 12 per cent of women wanting children – and just 3 per cent rating marriage as an aspiration.

Today is International Women’s Day, and the survey looking at the aspirations and inspirations of Kiwi women come as Westpac and Fairfax Media prepare to start searching for the country’s most influential women in the second year of the Women of Influence Awards.

But while the results show Kiwi women want to be financially secure, it also shows that those over 30 aren’t aiming high in their careers.

While most women aged 19-29 rank being a general manager, head of division, chief executive or boss as their career aspiration, those over the age of 30 opt for being self-employed or middle management – and the older they get, the more likely they are to aim for ‘‘team member’’.

Global Women director of business partnerships Alex Mercer says the findings reflect a shift in the mentality of Kiwi women, befitting a nation that has led the way in women’s rights.

‘‘Today, our women want to be financially independent. They want to work or own companies. This ambition can only be good for the success of New Zealand businesses.

‘‘Research shows that harnessing the potential of our women will have a positive impact on business, balancing and complementing the skills and styles of men.’’

But they also show there is work to do, she says. ‘‘At a time when we need to compete globally . . . gender diversity in New Zealand leadership teams has fallen behind many Asian countries including India, China and Singapore.’’

Indeed, the Human Rights Commission 2012 New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation starts with the cautious phrase: ‘‘New Zealand is making slow, incremental but unspectacular progress for women in many areas.’’

Examples include women holding just 14.75 per cent of top 100 NZX company directorships and only 55 of those companies have at least one female director.

Women still fill less than 30 per cent of judicial appointments, less than 25 per cent of senior academic staff, and less than 20 per cent of top legal partnerships.

Ms Mercer says these figures are climbing, but also provide ‘‘a stark reminder of the work needed to forge ahead to establish the New Zealand we want in generations to come’’.

Women need to start aspiring to and taking on leadership roles, she says. ‘‘It’s time for emerging women leaders to step up purposefully and businesses themselves to take up the immense opportunity in diversity as a driver of business value and competitive advantage.’’

That mantle is also on the radar of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which last year published a report looking at ways to increase the representation of women in leadership roles.

Minister Jo Goodhew says ‘‘the potential is there, but more needs to be done to realise it’’.

Educating women about how to take on leadership positions has to be a priority, she says. ‘‘We also need to recognise that career breaks, such as maternity leave or raising children, are in themselves an experience which provide transferrable skills.’’

The ministry manages a database of women interested in governance roles to help increase female representation on boards.

‘‘Consistently the research tells us that more women on boards means better governance and an improved bottom line.’’