Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
Madam Chair
Ehara tatou toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini ke: This Maori proverb means our strength does not come from us alone, but also from others. I am delighted to be here with you and our colleagues from around the world to present New Zealand’s National Statement to the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
I also reaffirm New Zealand’s strong commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Vienna Declaration and Programme for Action, the International Conference on Population and Development, UN Security Council resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions relating to the women, peace and security agenda.
These international commitments are a crucial part of progressing women’s empowerment and gender equality worldwide.
This year’s priority theme is Women’s empowerment and its links to sustainable development. It is great that the link between women’s empowerment and sustainable development is being increasingly recognised. Indeed, the stand-alone goal on women and girls in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development speaks to this connection.
But we cannot look at Goal 5 in isolation or as the only goal that applies to women and girls. Unless we take steps to enable women and girls to have equal opportunities, choices and expectations, it will stop us from achieving sustainable development across the 2030 Agenda.
All countries have work to do, including our own.
We are proud of our reputation as a ground-breaking nation that empowers women to lead independent and self-determining lives. While we were the first country in the world to give women the right to vote, we are by no means complacent. Our legacy of gender equality relies on our ability to do better for all New Zealand women, now and into the future.
I’m pleased to say women continue to play a pivotal role in the political, social and economic life of New Zealand. In many ways, we have made considerable progress.
For example, women are gaining tertiary qualifications at a higher rate than men and are increasingly studying and working in traditionally male-dominated and high growth sectors. As at September last year, New Zealand had close to the highest proportion of women in the workforce that we have seen.
However, I am under no illusions that our work in New Zealand is done.
This year’s CSW review theme is the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. Globally, it is a complex, intractable issue. But there is no shortage of determination to address this issue in New Zealand.
Our term on the United Nations Security Council enables us to tackle the gendered impacts of conflict and the role of women in conflict prevention, protection and sustainable peace.
New Zealand has a National Action Plan for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, including 1325, on Women, Peace and Security. The plan focuses on the participation of women in peacekeeping and assistance missions overseas. It also includes initiatives to eliminate violence against women and girls in conflict affected countries.
Following the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2242 last year, we look forward to participating in the recently established Informal Expert Group on women, peace and security. Recognition of women’s rights and perspectives must be an integral part of any programmes and policies for conflict resolution and post conflict development.
Support for sustainable development in the Pacific, where 60% of our development budget is spent, will continue to be a priority for us. Increasing the participation and leadership of women in the Pacific through our Aid Programme is one way in which we are taking practical steps to empower women in the Pacific region.
New Zealand also supports the Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence Programme, which aims to reduce the incidence of domestic violence and increase access to justice for victims.
On the domestic front, the Government is committed to addressing family and sexual violence, most of which is committed against women. The Ministry for Women continues to bring gender expertise to this work, and has produced ground-breaking research on violence against Samoan and Māori women in New Zealand.
An important finding from this research was the link between safety, education and employment. Women told us that there is a strong correlation between being safe, and having an education and paid work.
The Government has identified three other areas where work is needed to enhance the status of women and girls. These are to:
Support more women and girls in education and training
Better utilise women’s skills and boost economic growth; and
Encourage and develop women leaders.
I have no doubt that progressing this work will contribute to New Zealand’s sustainable, responsible and prosperous development.
I’m pleased to say we’ve already taken steps in the right direction.
For example, we know that work arrangements with limited flexibility are barriers to women’s career advancement. The Government has introduced legislation to make it easier for all employees to work flexibly. This brings our employment law more in line with modern lifestyles and expectations.
To ensure maximum impact, the Ministry for Women has been working with small and medium business owners to promote the benefits of flexible and diverse workplaces.
The Ministry for Women is encouraging aspiring women leaders, by connecting them to practical resources to support them to take the next step in their careers. The Ministry also continues to run a nominations service for recruiting women on to state sector boards and committees.
Madam Chair, to conclude, New Zealand recognises that women and girls have a crucial role to play in realising sustainable development for this generation and the next.
We owe it not only to women and girls, but to their families, communities and societies to put women’s empowerment at the forefront of the discussion on sustainable development.
I look forward to all of the discussions this week as we work collectively to progress gender equality in all its forms.