Call for private sector to match pledge on women
WELLINGTON: Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter is challenging the private sector to match the Government’s commitment to have women make up half of all state sector boards and committees by 2021.
‘‘We will ensure half of all directors on state sector boards and committees are women by 2021,’’ she said.
More than 2600 appointments are made to state sector boards every year. These include large stateowned enterprises, conservation boards and community trusts.
Ms Genter said there had been a steady increase in representation over the past 20 years, and the previous target of 45% was met last year.
She said the target of 50% for state sector boards was easily achievable.
‘‘The only reason we don’t have 50% of women on boards is because there is systemic discrimination against women — historic discrimination.
‘‘It’s not because women aren’t qualified. There are plenty of qualified hardworking women,’’ Ms Genter said.
In the private sector, however, the 2018 Grant Thornton International annual Women in Business Survey found only 18% of senior leadership roles were held by women — the lowest result since the survey began in 2004.
‘‘The reason is the public sector has made progress on this is because we had targets and a deliberate effort to increase diversity,’’ Ms Genter said.
‘‘The private sector needs to catch up.
‘‘We’re issuing a challenge across New Zealand to change current workplace cultures and support women into leadership roles, not just because that’s the fair thing to do, but also because diversity helps organisations function more effectively.’’
National Advisory for the Employment for Women chairwoman Tracie Houpapa said it was important that women made up half of public boards and committees.
‘‘It shows that there is a commitment to progress and there is a commitment to implementing the conversation and the strategy, so that’s important.
‘‘It also gives a benchmark of where we are up to and where we need to be.’’
Ms Genter said the Government was also investigating collecting ethnicity data ‘‘with a view to ensure diversity and representation of all New Zealanders’’.
By the end of 2017, women made up 45.7% of state sector boards and committees.