Global Women, a collective of New Zealand's most influential leaders advocating for equity and equality, have today, for the second year in a row, called on its members and community to "down tools" to raise awareness of the gender pay gap that leaves women 9.2% behind men in Aotearoa.
The #NoPayDay campaign relates to the Global Women’s findings through the Ministry for Women that though the average man receives his pay in full for working every day of the year, women only get paid for 331 days. It marks today as the first day until the last day of the year that women work without pay.
Board member Kathleen Everitt, the first wahine Māori to be appointed head of Te Ao Māori Strategy ANZ and deputy chair of St Stephen’s and Queen Victoria Schools Trust boards, says that for Māori and Pasifika women the pay gap is much bigger – 15.7%.
Gender pay inequalities continue.
To make the workplace and salaries more transparent, Everitt says her company is looking at conversations with any business whether corporate, community, iwi, rūnanga or whānau.
“[It’s] to have a key conversation in regard to gender pay gap within our respective organisations, so that we can find the pathways to really begin to close this gap that exists between us.
“[The campaign] is to encourage that conversation with us all, of why we have gender pay gaps. [It’s] to begin the conversation, not fear it.”
Minister for Women Jan Tinetti said that more than 105,000 people had received a pay correction last week due to the results of a pay equity claim in 2017.
It’s now been extended to community and iwi social workers, and Everitt says it’s wonderful to finally see it happen
“My aroha goes out to whānau that it had to take so long in which to be recognised for the huge work that they do in our communities.”
