Minister congratulates equal pay award winners

Louise Upston, Minister for Women, has congratulated the winners of the 2016 YWCA Equal Pay Awards.

The awards recognise best practice among business leaders actively tackling equal pay within their organisations.

“I am proud to support this initiative which celebrates employers that are committed to this very important work,” Ms Upston told the audience of business and state sector leaders.

ANZ was named Supreme winner.

Trophy winners also included Simpson Grierson, Youthtown Inc and Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation winning.

The awards follow last month’s announcement by Statistics NZ that the gender pay gap is now 12 per cent, up from 11.8 percent last year.

“While it’s been encouraging to see a downwards trend in the gender pay gap over the last 17 years, as well as an overall increase in average weekly wages of 1.9 per cent in the last year alone, the gender pay gap has increased slightly. That is why awards like these are so important. Leadership from the top matters, and these winners and participants are doing exactly that, leading from the front,” Ms Upston said. 

“The government is also working hard to set an example. The State Services Commission now asks the public service to report on their gender pay gaps, including  information on the actions they’re taking to address them in their four-year strategic plans. It is pleasing to see more state sector organisations are now entering these equal pay awards.

“Closing the gender pay gap requires making conscious, measured and reported efforts to tackle pay differences between men and women.

“I believe private sector employers have a responsibility to investigate their own gender pay gap and take steps to address it, as the public sector is doing.” 

“The organisations here tonight are doing that, and I look forward to others following their lead.”