Maori Women’s Welfare League

Women's Affairs Minister Ruth Dyson
Address to Maori Women’s Welfare League AGM Shantytown, Greymouth
10.00am, Sunday, 26 September 2004

Rau rangatira maa,
tenei te mihi ki a koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te ra.
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

[Distinguished guests, greetings to you gathered here for this purpose today. Greetings once, twice, three times to you all.]

Good morning and welcome. Thank you for inviting me back to your conference for the third time in a row. I have always been impressed by the warmth, commitment and spirit displayed at these wonderful gatherings of Maori women, and I can see these same qualities here today. It is a great testimony to your individual and collective strength, and the influence of the Maori Women’s Welfare League in New Zealand.

Acknowledge:
·Prime Minister (attending opening);
·Parekura Horomia, (attending dinner Saturday night and presenting trophy on Sunday morning).

My greetings to your president Kitty Bennett and general manager Jacqui Te Kani. We have had a lot to do with each other as part of my pledge as Minister of Women’s Affairs to work in partnership with your organisation, and I can assure you that you are well-represented by two impressive and dedicated women.

I also extend warm greetings to all the conference participants, who have come from every part of New Zealand. Thank you for making the effort to attend this important gathering, and for making me feel so welcome. I am sure that the weekend has been as memorable as always, and that you will leave here feeling renewed and inspired.

I see that your conference theme this year is “Aroha ke te tangata, tatau, tatau” (be compassionate to all mankind).

That is a hallmark of Maori women and the league, in my experience. You play a key role in sustaining Maori communities, culturally, socially and economically. You get your strength from whanau, hapu and iwi, and are the backbone of them. And your efforts contribute to the well-being of all New Zealanders, whatever their race or gender.

We should never underestimate women’s power to change the world! Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the United Nations, acknowledged this power at last year’s International Women’s Day celebration, when he said:

“Study after study has shown that there is no effective development strategy in which women do not play a central role. When women are fully involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: families are healthier and better fed; their income, savings and reinvestment go up. And what is true of families is also true of communities and, in the long run, of whole countries.”

Maori women have always been at the forefront of change. As Iriaka Ratana - the first Maori woman MP and a founding member of your organisation – once said about the league:
“The spirit of the women is strong: it will never break. They will fight on till they have won.”

Economic development
One area where Maori women are doing particularly well is in business and economic development, and I know that you had a workshop on this topic yesterday.

According to the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Study, Maori women are now among the most entrepreneurial business people in the world.

The study, which covers 41 countries and is the largest of its kind, tells us that:
·For the third year in a row, Maori have a higher entrepreneurial rate than non-Maori.
·Globally, the Maori entrepreneurship rate surpasses all but three countries in the study. If Maori were defined as their own country, they would rank as the fourth most entrepreneurial country in the world.
·83 per cent of Maori women identify themselves as ‘opportunity’ entrepreneurs – spotting a business opportunity and running with it – rather than necessity entrepreneurs who are forced to set up a business because of job loss or redundancy.
·Maori women are more entrepreneurial than non-Maori women, both in New Zealand and globally.

The success of Maori women is good for New Zealand in many ways.
In the next 40 years, between 30 and 40 per cent of the New Zealand workforce will be Maori and Pacific people. We need that workforce to be successful, educated, well-trained and highly skilled.
Successful Maori business women are not only great role models but they are providing important job opportunities for whanau, hapu and iwi.

We also know that Maori enterprises invest in the regions of New Zealand where their success has a real pay-off. One of the reasons that New Zealand is doing better than most other economies at the moment – and we were the fastest growing economy in the OECD last year – is that regional New Zealand is doing well. And part of the secret of that success is that Maori are doing well in those regions.

To support the efforts of Maori women in enterprise, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has set up a Maori Women’s Economic Development Reference Group. Its main goals are to guide and advise on:
·Maori women and the management of collectively owned assets; and
·a project called Women and Enterprise, which aims to identify options for supporting women in business, with a particular focus on small to medium enterprises.
I understand that the league has been involved in the setting up of the reference group and the appointment of its members, and that Kitty has regular meetings with the ministry to discuss this and other issues.

Maori renaissance
Underlying growing Maori achievement is the renaissance of Maori language and culture, which has also been driven in large part by Maori women. You have been instrumental in setting up, and running, Tu Tangata, Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa and Matua Whangai programmes.

You have played a vital role in Iwi Authorities, Maori Trust Boards and Urban Maori Authorities. And you have been the driving force behind the success of health and social services by Maori, for Maori.

As we head into the 21st century, there is still much to be done. Across a range of indicators, Maori women are yet to experience the same economic, health and social outcomes as non-Maori.

At the same time, I agree with the concern of many that the ongoing articulation of your status in terms of disparities and disadvantage undermines your positive contribution to our communities and to wider New Zealand society.

Events like this conference help dispel those myths, and present the true picture of a vibrant, innovative, entrepreneurial group of women, who get your strength from Maori communities and are the backbone of them.

Earlier this year I launched Mana Wahine week, a celebration of the achievements of Mäori women and, in particular, your entrepreneurial spirit. One of the comments made at that launch was how great it was to be at an event where the speeches focussed on achievements and the way forward, rather than spending a lot of time on the negative statistics.

We often focus on those statistics because we have to continually remind some sections of the community that we are addressing real needs, not dishing out ‘special treatment’ to those who already have advantages.

However, this morning I would like to focus mostly on the future and on the things planned, which will deliver real benefits for New Zealand women.

The Action Plan
Thirty years ago, the women’s movement put women’s rights on the agenda. Society has changed dramatically since then, and it’s time to look again at the challenges facing women and the best way to address them.

That’s why our government launched the Action Plan for New Zealand Women in March at a function at Parliament attended by more than 300 women. (One of the entertainers at the launch was talented Maori violinist Elena.)
The action plan builds on achievements we have already made, gives us a vision for the future, and provides a framework for action across the whole of government.

This is the first time that any government has committed itself to an integrated plan to improve women’s lives. It’s a realistic, medium-term plan that sets priorities, achievable goals, milestones and ways to monitor our overall progress.

The plan recognises the special place and role of Maori women, both as the heart and soul of their whanau, hapu and iwi, and also as tangata whenua. It was developed following extensive consultation with New Zealand women, including my three social partners: the league, the National Council of Women of New Zealand and PACIFICA.

The plan identifies three key themes for women:
·economic sustainability – which at its core is about having enough income to care for ourselves and our families;
·work-life balance; and
·preserving our health and well-being.

These are real issues facing women and I want to give some concrete examples of what is being done in each area, to give you an idea of what it will deliver.

Economic sustainability
As I’ve just mentioned, economic sustainability is largely about women having enough income to do the things they need to do to care for themselves and their families. The concept covers a wide range of income, employment and educational issues.

Examples of areas in the plan that address economic sustainability include:
·equal pay for equal work;
·student loans; and
·social assistance for women on low incomes.

Pay and employment equity
Women make up approximately 51 per cent of the New Zealand population and represent 47 per cent of the labour force. Although women’s participation in the paid workforce has increased, women are more likely to be in part-time work and have low pay.

Last year our government set up a taskforce, chaired by Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan, to analyse how factors influencing pay and employment equity apply in the public service and the public health and education sectors, and develop a five-year plan of action to address them.

The issues around pay equity are complex for several reasons. The nature of employment relations and approaches to bargaining have changed significantly since the days of the Employment Equity Act.

Awards no longer exist, and individual employment agreements predominate. While it is true the number of collective agreements has stabilised and is beginning to recover under the Employment Relations Act, there are still very few multi-employer collective agreements.

These changes are compounded by other factors such as the privacy surrounding pay rates and the lack of understanding in the community of pay and employment equity. A new approach is necessary.

The taskforce identified three key factors that contribute to the gender pay gap. The first is the undervaluing of women’s work – generally emotional and caring work. Implementing equal pay for work of equal value will address this factor, but on its own is not enough to close the gender pay gap.

It’s fascinating that, as women begin to dominate high-status occupations, their status tends to diminish. Earlier this month, in an article in the New Zealand Herald, the head of the Royal College of Physicians in London, Dr Carol Black, expressed concern that as the proportion of women doctors increases, the medical profession is in danger of losing its power and influence.
The second factor is the position of women in the workforce, both the jobs that we do - that we’re more likely to be nurses than doctors, teachers than principals - and our positions in organisational hierarchies - that we’re more likely to be junior managers than chief executives. This is true for both the private and public sectors. The longer-term gains will come from employment equity measures that address this issue.

The third factor is how jobs are organised, the relationship between the structure of paid work and women’s job choices and progression, as well as how workplaces support women’s family responsibilities.

The key recommendations of the taskforce report, released in May, are that:
·the government should make a clear commitment to pay and employment equity in the public service, the public education and health sectors;
·tools should be developed to help assess pay and employment equity;
·existing processes such as collective bargaining and accountability mechanisms should be among the methods used to implement the plan to achieve pay and employment equity; and
·a unit should be set up to oversee the implementation of the action plan and a tripartite steering group appointed to monitor progress.

The government has endorsed these recommendations and is now proceeding to implement them.

Student loans
Ministry of Education statistics show that women take more than 11 years to repay their student loan compared to just under seven and a half years for men. The government has asked the ministry to look at ways to reduce the impact of student loans on women.

Modern Apprenticeships
Women’s participation in modern apprenticeships will be promoted by the Tertiary Education Commission, working closely with Industry Training Organisations.

At present females represent just 6.6 per cent of the total participants of the Modern Apprenticeships scheme. The Tertiary Education Commission will report back on progress by November 2005.

Social assistance improvements for women on low incomes
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that women make up more than 80 per cent of sole parent families and are over-represented in lower-income groups. The action plan emphasises changes to social assistance that will improve levels of family income, reduce long-term social assistance dependency, and encourage participation in the paid workforce.

Major improvements in the level of family income assistance announced in the Budget represent an important step forward. The government’s aim is to ensure work pays, ensure families have enough income to give their children a good start in life, reduce the barriers to work, simply the benefit structure and ensure people receive their full entitlement.

The new regime will affect 61 per cent of all families with dependent children, netting them on average an additional $66 a week. Families in the lower income range ($25,000-$45,000) will net around $100 a week.

Retirement savings
With women playing an increasingly important economic role within families, particularly as sole parents, it is critical that women can plan for the financial future of themselves and their dependants.

We are putting a lot of effort into developing workplace saving schemes, and are looking at policies to improve retirement savings for women. The Retirement Commission will soon by launching a page within their ‘sorted’ website to help women navigate their financial decisions.

Work-life balance
Work-life balance is the second major area of focus for the action plan. We have worked hard in this country to increase opportunities for women’s participation in the paid labour market and there have been great improvements in that area. What we haven’t done yet, is get the right balance between paid and unpaid work.

Work-life balance is not just an issue for women. Overall, a decade of a deregulated and competitive environment has reduced the quality of life for many workers, both men and women. A lot of men have more stress in their lives than is healthy. But women have paid the greater price because of the additional level of stress that accompanies their role as carers.

The need to achieve work-life balance emerged strongly during the consultation phase of the plan, and was raised particularly by Mäori women and Pacific women. Women emphasised their need for opportunity and choice in relation to participation in paid work and the many other roles they fulfil.

Mäori and Pacific women face particular stresses because of their broader family responsibilities, concentration in low paid work, higher level of community work and the younger age structure of their population groups.

In August 2003, the government established an inter-agency steering group, chaired by the Department of Labour, to develop policies to improve work-life balance. The public consultation phase has finished and in July I released the final report.

It shows that people face significant barriers to achieving a desired work-life balance. Officials are now looking at how effective existing policies– such as paid parental leave and provision of affordable child care – are in supporting work-life balance, and considering the policy gaps for groups such as those working long hours or in non-traditional employment arrangements.

Access to childcare
A review of social assistance support for childcare is underway. The focus is on enabling families – and particularly those on low incomes and in sole parent households – to make the transition to paid employment, or to education and training.

In the Budget, we announced that many more families will be eligible for childcare subsidies and the rates increase significantly, with average gains of $23 a week per child from 2005. Eligible parents in work can get up to 50 hours a week childcare subsidy. Other parents can get up to nine hours subsidy a week.

The package will also improve adult:child ratios and increase the number of qualified teachers in the early childhood sector. In addition, we will deliver up to 20 hours a week free community-based early childhood education for all three and four year olds.

Paid Parental Leave
You may also be aware of the extensions to the paid parental leave scheme announced in March. The leave period will be extended from 12 to 14 weeks, phased in over two years, and parents will also be eligible for paid leave after only six months in the same job, rather than 12 months as at present.

Paid parental leave is an excellent example of the action plan in action, and embodies all its themes. It gives job and income security. It enables women to take time off work to have a baby, and improves the well-being of both mother and child.

Well-Being
The third main area of focus for the action plan is well-being and quality of life. Personal well-being includes both health and social issues - such as access to services, preventing violence against women and addressing the physical and mental health concerns that specifically affect women.

Examples of initiatives in the plan that address well-being include:
·reducing the incidence and impact of violence on women and children;
·reducing teenage pregnancies;
·reducing smoking rates – especially the very high rates amongst Mäori women

Family violence
Violence within the home continues to be a worrying problem in New Zealand, one that adversely affects the health, economic status, social participation and general well-being of many women and children. We’re looking to reduce the incidence and impact of family violence through Te Rito: New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy and the Crime Reduction Strategy.

We also outlined a number of initiatives in the Budget, including the establishment of a new Family Violence Intervention programme within Work and Income, and four Family Safety Teams which will provide a collaborative approach to dealing with family violence.

Sexual and reproductive health
New Zealand has the third highest rate of teenage births in 28 OECD countries. This is one area covered in the government’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, launched in 2001.

In the second phase of the strategy, we are focusing on district health boards and primary health organisations, and the role they can play to improve the sexual and reproductive health of their communities.

We have to do better in the area of contraception. Research tells us that up to 60 per cent of pregnancies in New Zealand may be unplanned which means some babies do not get the best possible start in life.

We also need to reduce our high rates of sexually transmitted infections. That’s why this summer the Ministry of Health is launching a national safer sex campaign aimed at 15 to 19 year olds.

Mäori women’s smoking rates
The very high levels of smoking by Mäori – and especially Mäori women, who have the highest rate of any group – leads to the early and unnecessary deaths of thousands. Overall, 31 per cent of all Mäori deaths between 1989 and 1993 have been attributed to cigarette smoking.

Helping Mäori women to quit smoking will involve developing and implementing new initiatives as well as continuing to fund and support current stop-smoking programmes.

Conclusion
There is much more in the action plan, but these examples give you some idea of the content of the plan, and the tasks we have set ourselves.

You will have noticed that I mentioned a number of different government departments in the examples. This is because the plan is genuinely a whole-of-government approach to improving opportunities for women. Delivering the plan will involve the support and involvement of many government agencies.

Of course, the proof of the action plan is in the implementation, and that requires the commitment of us all – women in central and local government, business, the state sector, the community and voluntary sector, doing paid and unpaid work.

I believe our success depends on our ability to work together, to build on our collective strengths and to respect our differences. I am committed to ensuring that I, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, work collaboratively with women’s groups up and down the country.

New Zealand has a proud tradition of leading the world in women’s rights. The action plan gives us a unique opportunity to be at the forefront again.

At the launch of the plan, I quoted the words of Black Elk, a Sioux First Nation author who lived from 1863-1950. He said this:
“A vision without tasks is just a dream.
A task without a vision is drudgery.
A vision with a task can change the world.”

The Action Plan for New Zealand Women has the three essential elements for success:
it gives us a vision to improve women’s lives;
·it has the government’s commitment underpinning it; and
·it sets out the tasks that will enable us to achieve that vision.

I wish you all the best for the rest of the day and a safe trip home. Thank you.