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The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, congratulates the Institute of Directors on the launch of its inaugural Mentoring for Diversity programme, aimed at increasing the number of women on NZX-listed and large company boards.

“I applaud the Institute of Directors (IoD) for establishing this programme,'' says Ms Parata.

"In a number of cases women often have the skills but are just not sure how to get into governance roles. This programme will really help them.”

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, is delighted with the results of a survey out today which show the gender pay gap has reached an all time low.

The New Zealand Income Survey shows that the gender pay gap has decreased from 10.6 per cent to 9.6 per cent in the last financial year.

“I am delighted that the pay gap is tracking in the right direction,’’ Ms Parata says.

“As a country we led the way with Suffrage, let’s continue to lead the way for further change,” the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, told a breakfast at Parliament this morning to celebrate Suffrage Day.

Suffrage day marks the anniversary of those who pioneered New Zealand Women's right to vote in 1893. 

New Zealand is comparatively well advanced in helping women become fully engaged in the economy, the Minister of Women's Affairs, Hekia Parata, told the APEC Women and the Economy Summit in San Francisco.

"But there is always more to do. Our Government is committed to growth and we recognise the contribution that women can make to that."

The Acting Minister of Energy and Resources and the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, will represent the New Zealand Government at the APEC Energy Ministerial Conference and the APEC Women and the Economy Summit in San Francisco next week.

Ms Parata will attend two Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) energy meetings. On September 12 she will attend the Energy Security Policy Roundtable which will discuss the impact of energy security and technology on economic growth in the region.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, is encouraging more businesses to follow the lead of the NZX who are proposing new rules that will require all publicly listed companies to declare how many women they have in senior roles.

Along with Prime Minister, John Key, Ms Parata was one of the guest speakers this morning’s ‘Enhancing New Zealand’s Leadership - women, productivity and our economy,’ breakfast in Auckland, which was hosted by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Trans Tasman Business Circle.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, today welcomed a report from Investment Bank Goldman Sachs which confirms the Government’s approach to increasing women’s participation in the economy is the right one.

“To be more competitive as a country we need to be able to better use women’s skills and education,’’ Ms Parata says.

“The report says we could boost our GDP by a further 10 per cent by increasing women’s participation in the economy.’’

The Women’s Refuge Annual Appeal Week is a timely reminder that family violence is not ok, and all women and children should be able to live free from violence, says the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata.

The Women’s Refuge Annual Appeal runs from 18-24 July and aims to raise awareness about family violence and inspire us to think about how we can each make a difference. 

“It is an opportunity to think about how we can stop family violence in our communities,” says Ms Parata.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, will host two events tomorrow to celebrate the contribution Maori women make to the economy and to society.

A breakfast event in Auckland tomorrow morning will focus on Maori women in business leadership.  Along with the Minister, the guest speakers are inspiring business women Parekawhia McLean, the chief executive of Tainui and Hinerangi Raumati, a company director.

It is time for New Zealand to break the cycle of sexual violence that sees some women suffering multiple revictimisation says the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata.

This week (May 2-6) is Rape Awareness Week, which aims to raise awareness of the terrible human and economic costs of sexual violence.

“New Zealanders need to wake up to the fact that sexual violence is shamefully common in New Zealand, and that the impacts – and often the abuse – frequently continue throughout people’s lives.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hekia Parata, will meet some of Australia’s top business leaders in Sydney this week to find out how Australia has managed to significantly boost the number of women on private sector boards.

“In 2009 only five per cent of new appointments to ASX 200 boards were women, but that jumped to 25 per cent last year, and so far this year 31 per cent of appointments are women,’’ Ms Parata says.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs Hekia Parata has applauded an initiative by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand to encourage more women into engineering.

The Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ), along with officials from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, has developed a business plan which aims to increase the number of women in engineering.

The Government is urging women to put themselves forward for business leadership roles, says the Minister of Women’s Affairs Hekia Parata.

In a speech to “HER Business Network”  in Wellington today, the Minister said New Zealand has to make better use of women’s skills and experience if it is going to significantly lift productivity.

“Tapping more effectively into women’s potential is one of the keys to New Zealand’s future growth and prosperity.

Disabled women may be at greater risk of domestic violence than other New Zealanders, says the Minister of Women’s Affairs Hon Hekia Parata.

Ms Parata was speaking at the launch of a booklet Domestic Violence and Disabled People in Auckland today, which is the centennial of International Women’s Day.

The Minister welcomed the booklet as a valuable resource which helps disabled people to be more aware of domestic violence, and provides practical advice on what to do about it.

A rise in domestic violence is likely to add to Christchurch’s misery, says the Minister of Women’s Affairs Hon Hekia Parata.

Ms Parata urged those at a breakfast she hosted at Parliament this morning to mark 100 years of International Women’s Day, to be prepared for an increase in violence following last month’s devastating earthquake.

“The international evidence is that domestic violence increases after big natural disasters and the increase may continue for up to a year.

New Zealand is ranked among those at the top of the world for gender equality according to a report to the United Nations (UN) released by Women’s Affairs Minister Hekia Parata today.

The seventh report to the UN under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) recognises New Zealand as a leader in gender equality and this is reflected in the CEDAW report.

The CEDAW report is prepared every four years and is a ‘report card’ to the UN on how well Kiwi women are doing.

"It is beyond my wildest dreams that a baby girl born in Shanghai, China, grew up in a Hong Kong apartment where eight families shared a single kitchen and bathroom to be New Zealand's first List M

The Biennial New Zealand Census of Women's Participation 2010 released today contains no new issues, Minister of Women's Affairs Pansy Wong says.

This year, around 1700 State Sector and local Government employees from across New Zealand completed qualifications through Learning State, a state owned company.

Recognising outstanding workplace practices has been the hallmark of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Trust and this evening businesses which demonstrated such practices were acknowledged in

New Zealand is recognising another world first as we celebrate the first United Nations mandated World Statistics Day, Minister for Women's Affairs Pansy Wong says.

The Minister of Women's Affairs Pansy Wong welcomes figures showing the closing Gender Pay Gap.

From an economic perspective it is essential women take their rightful places in leadership roles, Minister of Women's Affairs Pansy Wong told the 15^th APEC Women's Leaders Network Meeti

The advances made by New Zealand women over past decades will be highlighted at the WTCA Women Leadership Forum 2010 Conference in the historic Shanghai World Trade Expo in Shanghai, China this Sat