NEW ZEALAND CENSUS OF WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION 2012 o we want to keep seeing women in leadership Dpositions? If we do we’re going to have to do something about it because it won’t happen of its own accord..... former Prime Minister and UNDP Administrator, Rt Hon Helen Clark. e are tired of having a “sphere” doled out to W us, and of being told that anything outside that sphere is unwomanly….. Kate Sheppard, Suffragette. othing is ever too difficult to achieve. N Only inertia can defeat us..... Sonja Davies, trade unionist and peace activist o te Pua–waitanga o nga– moemoea–, me whakamahi. KDreams become a reality, when we take action.... Princess Te Puea. ou can never plan to make your Y biggest throw your last throw….. Valerie Adams, Olympic shot put champion. he perceived predominance of women across some of T the country’s key leadership positions during recent years….carries the risk of a double-edged sword. It is all too convenient to assume that this profile accurately represents the status of all professional women.…. Dame Silvia Cartwright, former Governor-General of New Zealand. ctions that improve the circumstances Aof New Zealand women are of benefit to all New Zealanders…... Ruth Dyson, former Minister of Women’s Affairs. Contents Sex and power: a report card 2 International comparisons 6 Women for Rugby 18 Celebrating courageous Canterbury women 31 New Zealand Exchange 46 Accountants 54 Agribusiness 56 Building, construction and engineering 58 Defence 62 Diplomats 65 District Health Boards 67 Finance 69 Judiciary 71 Law 73 Media and Public Relations 77 Medicine 81 Not for profit sector 84 Aiming high Police 86 The front cover photo features Mystics defender Politics 90 Anna Harrison being lifted in the air to repel a goal bound netball shot during a winning game Public Service 93 over the Melbourne Vixens. The “Harrison hoist”, was arguably the most innovative sports Science 104 technique of 2012. School Boards of Trustees 107 Top back cover features Paralympian and golden girl Sophie Pascoe, whose seven medal haul, Sport 108 makes her the year’s most outstanding sports personality‑male or female. State Sector Boards 117 Bottom back cover features medal girls, Teachers 133 Sarah Walker (left) and Lisa Carrington. Trade Unions 134 ©New Zealand Human Rights Commission Published November 2012 Universities 137 Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand Agenda for Change Score Card 141 ISBN No: 978‑ 0 ‑478‑35637‑3 (print) 978‑ 0‑478‑35638‑0 (PDF) Agenda for Change 2012 142 References 143 Sex and power: a report card Bouquets This is the fifth benchmark report published by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission New Zealand is making slow, incremental but during the last decade. It expands the coverage unspectacular progress for women in many of women in public and professional life and areas. For example, while women on boards of for the first time adds women’s representation the top 100 companies listed on the New Zealand in building, construction and engineering, Stock Exchange have climbed over 10% for the women in medicine, women in trading bank first time, they have yet to reach 15% (14.75%). governance and looks at women’s representation The increase over 2012 has been influenced by in the governance of major disabled peoples’ companies with dual listing on the Australian organisations (DPOs). While data on the Stock Exchange and the recent introduction participation and representation of Mäori and across the Tasman of gender diversity reporting Pacific women is reported on when it is available, rules. At the rate of progress for women in it is seldom collected. The identification, corporate governance over the past decade, collection and verification of data by ethnicity it will be another 35 years before boardroom remains a significant challenge but it may now equality is achieved. be taken more seriously. The Committee on the The figures reported here show that across many Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has areas of professional and public life there has asked the New Zealand Government to provide been a two or three percentage point increase for within two years, data and information on women women in two years. Women’s low representation from ethnic minority groups, including their at the top, despite increasing participation at access to employment.1 entry level, remains systemic and frustrating. A special section of the report profiles a number It appears largely immune to economic cycles, of courageous Canterbury women who are despite the global financial crisis being regularly building businesses and sustaining communities used as an excuse for women’s slow progress. The good news • The Corrections Department tops major • Two of New Zealand’s markets, the NZSX public service departments in ensuring the top 100 and the New Zealand Debt Market implementation of equal pay and pay equity (NZDX) have improved more than five • The New Zealand Institute of Chartered percentage points from 2010 Accountants has taken a leadership role in • Women are now 30% in sports governance, urging its members to address gender pay an improvement on 24% women in sports differences governance in 2010 • The NZX has agreed to a gender diversity • National executives of trade unions are now rule at just over 39% female representation • The Prime Minister John Key, and successive • Recent appointments will lift the proportion Ministers of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata of women as public service chief executives and Jo Goodhew, have helped mainstream over 24% the debate about women on boards. 1 Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (9‑27 July, 2012) CEDAW/C/ NZL/CO/7, par 43. PAGE / 2 during the difficult and enduring period of The weak nature of target setting for women’s earthquake recovery. progress has not gone unnoticed. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of A campaign to ensure there is women’s Discrimination Against Women told New Zealand participation at the top of the New Zealand in 2012 that “while there is co‑operation between Rugby Union (NZRU) is also launched in this the Government and the private sector to report. Rugby is the major New Zealand sport identify targets for the advancement of women in with NO women on the NZRU board. A group of decision‑making positions, the targets, goals and trailblazers is urging change. time frames set are not sufficient and may be a The 2012 Census Report shows that New Zealand symptom of regression rather than progress in now follows, rather than leads, other countries women’s representation.”2 in active measures to improve women’s The Committee recommended to the representation and that the benchmarks New Zealand Government that it review the being set are often lesser than those targets, goals and time frames set for the introduced overseas. advancement of women in decision‑making Brickbats positions to ensure that they sufficiently enhance progress in women’s representation. Women are being short‑changed by those setting targets on their behalf. There’s a bleak Unambitious targets for women’s progress have picture of pale ambition for women’s progress in a number of negative effects. They demand New Zealand as a result. no stretch whatsoever. For example, the 10% Ministry of Women’s Affairs indicator for “Low bar” targets for women’s progress are corporate governance, was so low when it was currently being set by the Government, business set that it has already been exceeded. It required and the public and private sectors. Some of less than one percentage point change and the them are as low as aiming for 10% women’s time for it to be achieved was pushed out to 2015. representation in corporate governance by While political accountability may be satisfied 2015, which appears to accept 90% male at one level by such target‑setting, women’s domination of governance as a norm. And if progress has been downgraded and devalued in New Zealand publicly aspired in 1998 to equal the process. gender representation on government appointed statutory boards following the Beijing Platform Weak targets also reveal a limited faith in the for Action, why is only 45% acceptable in 2012? ability of New Zealanders to lead and innovate. They are an unexpected and unacceptable denial Women’s substantive equality appears to have of the Kate Sheppard legacy. They also dampen vanished as a policy driver despite New Zealand’s women’s expectations of progress. The team international treaty body commitment to “all working compiling the data for this report found human beings are born free and equal in dignity themselves in something of a quandary‑ should and rights” and non‑discrimination provisions in any progress be praised no matter how slight? the Human Rights Act 1993. However, if women’s equality is to be achieved in our lifetime then better than nothing is not good enough and never will be. 2 Ibid, at par 27. PAGE / 3 The bad news • Women are still less than 30% of judges, • Two companies in the top ten, Sky Network less than 25% of senior academic staff, and Television and TrustPower, have no women less than 20% of top legal partnerships on their boards and have no excuses • The percentage of women on government‑ • The New Zealand Police and the New appointed state sector statutory bodies has Zealand Defence Force have stalled in terms slipped again of women’s progress at the top • Women in Modern Apprenticeships are still • Twenty two government departments have not well represented in better paid trades gender pay gaps bigger than the average • Women in Canterbury suffered significant pay gap in the labour market job loss over the earthquake period and • Nine government departments have more there is little measurable evidence that they than a 20% gender pay gap including are an employment priority.