Working together to improve the status of women

Women’s Affairs Minister Steve Chadwick today reinforced the importance of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working with the government to help improve the status of women in New Zealand.

Steve Chadwick spoke to the Pacific Women’s Watch Group in Auckland about the Labour-led government and NGOs working together on issues like the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

She says NGOs have an important role in helping the government to improve the status of women, for example further closing the gender pay gap, and getting more women on to statutory boards, both public and private.

“New Zealand has one of the smallest gender gaps in the world – we’re now ranked fifth out of 128 countries in the 2007 Global Gender Gap Report, but we still have more work to do to close that gap further.

“NGOs have a key role to help the government identify how we can further improve the status of women, and work together to improve women’s lives.

“The Labour-led government is also committed to making sure that all New Zealanders take responsibility for domestic violence against women, as part of the Campaign for Action on Family Violence launched in September.

“This includes a Multi-Party Working Group on Family Violence, made up of MPs from ACT, the Greens, Labour, the Maori Party, New Zealand First, Progressive and United Future.”

Saturday 25 November is International White Ribbon Day; a day when people wear a white ribbon to show that they do not condone violence towards women.

“Family violence is a very serious and complex problem and all New Zealanders need to work together at all levels of society, to make our country a safe place for children and families to grow and thrive.”