by Paula Määttä

F. The role of the public sector

In 1986, the Government initiated an Equal Pay Study, with the aim of reviewing the Equal Pay Act 1972. The Equal Pay Study drew on existing research on the economic position of women in New Zealand. This Study has been described above.

The Ministry of Womens Affairs is under the Government for promoting and ensuring the advancement of women. The Ministry was established in 1984 as an agency with main functions as follows:

(a) equality of outcomes for women in all their fields of interest and involvement;

(b) improvements in the opportunities available to women for equal participation in all spheres of community and economic life;

(c) responsiveness to the policy needs of Maori women in recognition of tangata whenua (indigenous) status and in terms of the Governments principal Maori policy objectives. (cedaw 1993, 7.)

The Ministry provides policy advice that deals with legislation and any other policy proposals that have significance for womens social, economic or political equality, and it provides evaluations of the extent to which public and private sector activities facilitate or inhibit womens status. The Ministrys information services involve information and liaison services to the general public, particularly women (cedaw 1993, 8.)

The other government agencies are the Equal Employment Opportunities Unit, the National Advisory Committee on the Employment of Women and the joint private and public sector Equal Employment Opprtunities Trust. Womens policy and advisory units have been established in a number of government departments such as the Ministry of Education. (cedaw 1993, 8.)

In addition to formal government agencies, there are several non-governmental organisations with similar objectives. These include the Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity, and the Coalition for Equal Value Equal Pay (a coalition of unions, womens groups and individuals). (cedaw 1993, 8.)