I attended last week, the forum run by the Retirement Policy and Research Centre, Auckland Business School ” The high cost chromosome-XX retirement: lower pay, less savings, longer lives. As usual the presentations and information provided by speakers was professional and of a high standard.

The topic covered the issue of Gender inequality and the implications and effect upon women. Women are often paid less, often take out from paid work, many policies are built around paid work etc. e.g. Kiwi Saver. In the retirement income area, women live longer; have smaller retirement incomes probably due to a range of discriminatory affects; the evidence is strong that women are disadvantaged.

I felt like I was in a time warp, many of the issues being discussed, were very similar to presentations I had listened to in the 1970-2000 period. The question has to be asked what the policy solutions are and on the presumption they exist, why have they not been implemented. The Ministry of Women have a specific role in this, but how visible, effective are they!

The Ministry for Women is charged with improving outcomes for New Zealand women. A look at their website shows The Chief Executive and the Ministry attempt to achieve this through providing an evidence-backed viewpoint on the critical issues and influencing key policymakers and stakeholders to play their part. The Ministry is primarily a policy agency – it does not provide services directly to the public or act as an advocacy organisation, and it does not have an international development role.

Work is directed towards the Government’s objectives of greater economic independence for women, increasing the number of women in leadership roles, and increased safety from violence for women and girls.  The Ministry brings its unique knowledge and perspective to bear on improving outcomes in these areas, and claims to take a central role in:

• providing high quality, evidence-based policy advice on issues that affect women and using this to shape policy directions, and influence and gain commitment from Ministers and key agencies to deliver on these policies
• nominating suitable women for appointment to State sector boards and committees
• proactively identifying the points of leverage in the system and working in partnership with public, private and community sector agencies to drive improved outcomes for New Zealand women and girls
• managing New Zealand’s international obligations in relation to the status of women.

How effective have they been? Are they doing gender analysis on pending policy legislation? Do you know who the last Chief Executive was?

Posted by Alec Waugh