A record number of women were on state sector boards in 2018, the Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter says.
The Government has increased women on boards to a record 47.4 per cent for 2018, up from 45.7 per cent in 2017, she said tonight.
A Gender Stocktake of State Sector Boards and Committees is undertaken annually by the Ministry for Women.
“This Government is committed to having more women in leadership roles," Ms Genter said.
“This result shows significant progress towards our target of 50 per cent of women on state sector boards and committees by 2021.”
More diverse leadership in organisations results in better decision making, better organisational resilience and better performance,” Ms Genter said.
“It also opens up more opportunities for women to succeed and contributes to a more inclusive and fairer society.”
She said: “By making sure the public sector has equal representation at the top, we want to inspire the private sector to lift its game.”
The Government is encouraging organisations across New Zealand to challenge current workplace cultures and support women into leadership roles, “not just because that’s the fair thing to do, but also because diversity helps organisations function more effectively,” Ms Genter said.
She also said the Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa is working towards having ethnicity data for boards available next year.
“This will give us better information about the ethnic makeup of our boards with a view to ensure diversity and representation of all New Zealanders. “
Ms Genter is encouraging women who are interested in being on boards to register for the Ministry for Women’s nominations service.
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