Women in Business Workshop speech

Kia Ora Koutou , Good morning, welcome and thank you very much for taking the time to join us here to discuss the issues facing women and also to talk about your solutions towards solving the current economic crisis facing our country.

First of all I want to acknowledge the wonderful news that Cathy Quinn has been appointed as the Chair of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts. Indeed Women in leadership - or the lack of it - is a priority of the Ministry of Women's Affairs' work programme.

Although it seems unlikely looking around this room, there is a glaring lack of women's participation in the boardroom. Of the leadership areas the Ministry of Women's Affairs measures, the only one where women are in the majority is on school Boards of Trustees at 52 percent.

In every other sector women are in the minority.

In the state sector 42 percent of people in governance roles are women. The previous government set a target of 50 percent women on state boards by 2010. That is next year and there is a 8% gap. In the private sector it is much worse with women representing less than nine percent of directors on the boards of our top 100 listed companies.

There is no logic behind this as recent overseas studies have shown that the more gender diverse a boardroom is, the better it is likely to perform financially, meaning it's not just a case of equal opportunity, it makes good business sense.

The Ministry of Women's Affairs Nominations Service has more than 2,600 women who are ready to be appointed to various boardrooms on its database and is always looking for more. One contribution you could make after today's workshop is to let other women like you know about the Ministry's Nominations Service and encourage them to put their names forward. Please spread the word about the service through your networks. The state sector has a high level of respect for our nomination service and proactively seeks names from the Ministry.

Once we have made good progress on women in leadership in both state and private sectors, some of the other issues facing women will be addressed more readily including equal pay and equal opportunities of promotion, support structures, recognition and objective assessment initiatives in the workplace.

I want to see New Zealand as a place where women choose how they live their lives and where all women - whether they be doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants, secretaries, electricians or stay-at-home mums are valued for their contribution.

Most importantly, my vision sees New Zealand as a place where women are recognised for balancing their roles as mothers and workers; a place where unpaid work is shared evenly between men and women.

I see this great nation as being a place of great choices for women. Through each stage of  their lifetime, I want women to have opportunities opening up for them, not closing down because we cannot succeed as a nation if we do not make the best use of the skills and experience of all our peoples.

I want women to have real choices about how they live their lives and for them to be valued for their contribution and I'm looking forward to working with women and men who share the same conviction.

This morning we would also like to hear your ideas about what the government can do to support women, particularly business women, in the development and use of their skills and talents and what the business sector can do to help us.

And perhaps most importantly, we would like to know what areas we can all work together in to enable women to have real choices about their participation in the economy.

It is critical that women are able to play an active part in the debate about the recession and its impacts. All of you in your positions are well-placed to make a knowledgeable and valuable contribution to that debate.

The Prime Minister is holding an economic summit in Auckland this Friday and I am delighted that  some participants here can carry our messages through to the summit. It is also my intention, occupying a seat at the Cabinet table, to feed the results of our discussion here this morning to my colleagues to ensure that your voices are heard throughout the continuing process of seeking ways of making decision in tackling this recession.

But let me assure you here and now that the National-led Government is taking the worsening economic situation very seriously. While we can't turn back the clock, we can do everything in our power to knock the hard edges off the recession.

That is why we have announced the Re-Start package which provides assistance to workers and families who have lost their jobs during the recession, which my colleague Hon Paula Bennett has announced is helping 800 people to date. Our small business package has a range of initiatives aimed at keeping people in business during these challenging economic times.

We have also brought forward infrastructure spending to lessen unemployment and ensure there are plenty of jobs for hard-working New Zealanders. There is also another round of tax cuts to be rolled out on April 1 that will put more money in Kiwi pockets.

Yesterday, we also announced the voluntary bonding scheme for doctors, midwives and teachers. In the education sector, for example, it is giving 1800 teachers incentives to train and stay in the country. Details of all these Government initiatives have been included in your information packs today.

Again, thank you all so much for coming - I look forward to hearing what you have to say. I encourage you to continue raising the issues we discuss today with your colleagues and others to help bring about changes that will benefit not just women but all parts of the New Zealand economy and society.