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08 March 2006
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By Janna Hamilton
Some countries celebrate today's International Women's Day with a national holiday – but not New Zealand.
Human Rights Commissioner Judy McGregor says the day doesn't receive the same recognition here as in other parts of the world.
"There is a myth in New Zealand that New Zealand is a standout country for gender parity and all is well."
She said complacency about the issue was to a large extent ironic, because it was born of the success of Prime Minister Helen Clark, former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, Chief Justice Sian Elias and "a few (other) women at the top".
Dr McGregor, who is also the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, said 39 of the current 121 MPs were women, the largest number in New Zealand's parliamentary history, ranking the country 15th in an Inter-Parliamentary Union survey of women's representation in national parliaments.
"Even though it's great that there are role models and figure heads it doesn't necessarily reflect the status of all women."
Women, and children, continue to face domestic violence; women with disabilities are largely impoverished and invisible; and women lag behind in pay and decision-making roles.
Human Rights Commissioner Joy Liddicoat said seven women have died as a result of domestic violence since the start of 2006.
Last year police fielded more than 45,000 emergency 111 calls on domestic violence, with the vast majority from women needing immediate help.
"These figures are a stark reminder that some women continue to be denied their basic right to be safe from violence," Ms Liddicoat said.
"March must be a month in which no one is killed as a result of domestic violence."
Women with disabilities are forgotten and their needs often unmet because so little data is collected about them, fellow commissioner Robyn Hunt said.
"We know that women with disabilities are among the poorest New Zealanders – 70 per cent have an annual income of less than $15,000." Ms Hunt said.
"But we know precious little else, such as where they live, their level of family and community support, the services they need and how they can best access them, and the help they might need to care for their children."
Ms Hunt said that greater attention should be given to collecting data about women so government and other service providers could develop effective policies to meet their needs.
Dr McGregor said pay equity was a critical issue for New Zealand, "because currently we've got a work force of two halves ". The vast majority of women who did not have positions of power were generally paid less than men.
On average women earned 87 per cent of the hourly rate of men.
"If we've got a skills shortage and we want more women to participate in paid work, we're going to have to do better about paying them."
Dr McGregor said International Women's Day should be a day of celebration.
Equally it should be a day for a reality check.
"There are still some fundamental structural barriers to women's participation in a number of areas."