October/ Whiringa-ā-Nuku 2010 A PUBLICATION OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS First in the world In 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world where women could vote in national elections. It is one of the events when we could clearly say ‘we led the world’. he Ministry of Women’s Affairs believes we have begun to get the petition back out we should all celebrate Suffrage Day to people, asking ‘was great grandma or Tmore than we do. This year we began great granddad a suffragist?’ a campaign – including display panels, posters, and badges – which we plan to The petition looks just as it did when build on in future years. Kate Sheppard rolled it up in 1893 and just as it was before John Hall MP rolled The 1893 Suffrage petition was signed by it down the central aisle of the House of 32,000 people throughout New Zealand Representatives, making quite a thud and nearly 24,000 of those signatures when it hit the end wall of the debating remain on a copy held in Wellington. It was chamber. Within months the all-male the largest petition our young nation had parliament had granted women the vote, ever seen, and represented the efforts of a making New Zealand a world leader. truly mass movement, which drew support from right across society. Māori women were strongly involved in the suffrage struggle. That is another The original of the petition sits in Wellington part of the story that needs to be better at Archives New Zealand, in the same area that houses the Treaty of Waitangi. This year, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Celebrating Suffrage Day: L to R: Elizabeth Bang, National President, NCW; Nicki Crauford, Chief Executive, Institute of Directors; Hon Pansy Wong; Barbara Wilkinson, Chief Executive, PaMPITO; Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Police. This issue is a little later than usual so we could include Suffrage Day activity. Day include Suffrage could than usual so we issue is a little later This TE MANA WĀHINE HEI ARA WHAKATIPU | RECOGNITION OF WOMEN’S MANA IS THE PATHWAY TO EQUALITY 1 FROM THE MINISTER CEDAW Defining moment update in our history In the June Pānui, we advised that work was well underway on New Zealand’s seventh periodic report On 19 September 1893, New Zealand to the United Nations Convention women were the first in the world to on the Elimination of All Forms win the right to vote. of Discrimination against Women This moment in history defines us as (CEDAW) – our four-yearly report a nation and is a great source of pride. card on the status of women. When the bill allowing women to vote MWA hosted a ‘special’ meeting of was passed into law, leading suffragist the women’s caucus on international Kate Sheppard wrote: issues to seek feedback on the ‘The General Elections have come and report. The feedback was very useful gone. For the first time the women of and helped us identify areas where New Zealand have joined with men in we could make the report more choosing members of Parliament, and comprehensive. The final report we have waited with bated breath for will go before Cabinet around late the deluge of calamities which it was October, before we submit it to prognosticated would follow the admission CEDAW. of women into the political arena’. Hon Pansy Wong. NGOs can also present independent reports to the CEDAW Committee, Meri Te Tai Mangakahia was recorded often referred to as shadow reports. as being the first woman to address the Women still earn Shadow reports are currently being Māori Parliament. She along with other less than men – even prepared by the National Council of Māori women played a significant role in when their jobs and Women of New Zealand (on behalf the battle for women’s rights. To celebrate of a number of NGO groups); the their role and mark Suffrage Day, a new qualifications are Māori Women’s Welfare League; the web resource was launched at an event similar. Abortion Law Reform Association of held in Auckland. It can be viewed on the New Zealand, and Pacific Women’s Ministry’s website www.mwa.govt.nz. New Zealand women also have high levels Watch Inc. Reports can be submitted We also held events in Christchurch of engagement and success in education prior to or when the New Zealand and Wellington to mark Suffrage Day – and employment. For example, in 2008, Government presents its report, likely a significant part of New Zealand’s women accounted for 55 percent of to be in late 2011. The Government history and a part which showed our students enrolled in tertiary education and, will also update the Committee at this nation to be fair minded and progressive. of those who started a tertiary qualification time on progress since the CEDAW Yet, despite this magnificent achievement, in 2001, 61 percent of domestic students report was submitted. as a nation we did little to celebrate it. who completed their qualification by the More information about NGO I am determined to bring about enduring end of 2008 were women. participation at CEDAW sessions changes that will see Suffrage Day is available at www.un.org/ celebrations take their rightful place But, there are still challenges. Women’s skills are underused in leadership across womenwatch/daw/ngo/cedawngo and become part of our national pride. the economy; women still earn less It would be interesting to hear what Kate than men – even when their jobs and and Meri would have to say if they were qualifications are similar; and violence here today. Our seventh periodic report within families continues to be a cause to the United Nations Convention on the of national concern. In the same spirit Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination as Kate and Meri, we must continue to against Women (CEDAW) would tell them work hard to overcome these challenges. that New Zealand women, by international Hon Pansy Wong standards, are doing well. We regularly rate in the top half dozen countries in the world for equality between men and women – for instance, in the 2009 Global Gender Gap Report, out of 115 countries surveyed, we were fifth, behind the Scandinavian countries. MINISTER OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS The seventh periodic report to CEDAW will go before Cabinet around late October. TE MANA WĀHINE HEI ARA WHAKATIPU | RECOGNITION OF WOMEN’S MANA IS THE PATHWAY TO EQUALITY 2 known, so we have created a new web In Auckland on 13 September, the Minister Institute of Directors in New Zealand; resource that tells the story of Māori of Women’s Affairs, Hon Pansy Wong, Barbara Wilkinson, Chief Executive of the women and the vote. hosted an event to launch our new web Plastics and Materials Processing Industry resource and to celebrate Māori women Training Organisation; and Elizabeth Bang, The information in these pages is taken in governance: their role in the suffrage National President of the National Council from Māori Women and The Vote by Tania movement and in the 21st century. of Women. Rei (now Tania Rangiheuea) published by Huia Publishers in 1993 as part of the In Christchurch, the Ministry partnered celebrations for the centennial of It is one of the events when with the Christchurch City Council to hold a women’s suffrage. we could clearly say we led luncheon held on 19 September. the world. Nicky Wagner, MP, represented Women’s Māori women won the right to vote in Affairs Minister Pansy Wong and Anne Shaw, national elections in 1893 along with their In Wellington on 15 September, an event Policy Manager, represented the Ministry. Pākehā sisters. And they won the right to was held at the Beehive to celebrate vote and sit in the Māori parliament four New Zealand being first in the world years later in 1897. It is a remarkable story, to give women the vote. Hosted by which you can discover on our website Women’s Affairs Minister Pansy Wong, www.mwa.govt.nz. guest speakers included Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Police and Corrections; The Ministry was involved in three Nicki Crauford, Chief Executive of the celebratory events around New Zealand. With Hon Pansy Wong, L to R: Heena Desai, Deputy Head Girl, Three descendants of leading Māori suffragist Meri Te Tai St Mary’s College; Faye Waddington, Head Girl, St Mary’s Mangakahia with Hon Pansy Wong, L to R: Emma Frost, Irene Frost, College; Jacqueline Perry, Deputy Head Girl, St Catherine’s Mary Amai, and Tania Rangiheuea, author of Māori Women and College; Elizabeth Goulden, Head Girl, St Catherine’s College. The Vote. TE MANA WĀHINE HEI ARA WHAKATIPU | RECOGNITION OF WOMEN’S MANA IS THE PATHWAY TO EQUALITY 3 Women on the board – leading by example After announcing women directors should be a top priority for business, the New Zealand Shareholders’ Association is showing it can lead by example. Three of the Association’s eight full board members are now women. any New Zealand boards are Affairs for directorship roles recently, ‘The Ministry’s nominations scheme is dominated by older men. and the quality of the people suggested incredibly useful. There are people on that MShareholders’ Association chair for our own board was simply stunning.’ list who are very motivated and want to John Hawkins said the organisation had make a difference. And I think that’s terrific.’ been concerned for some time that The Shareholders’ Association has five ‘we need a greater diversity on boards’. branches throughout the country and ‘But we found that a lot of women were over 1,000 members.