Record levels of women on state sector boards

Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter announced today that 2018 has seen a record level of women on state sector boards.

“This Government is committed to having more women in leadership roles. We have increased women on boards to a record level 47.4 percent for 2018, up from 45.7 percent in 2017” says Julie Anne Genter.

“This result shows significant progress towards our target of 50 percent of women on state sector boards and committees by 2021.

“More diverse leadership in organisations results in better decision making, better organisational resilience and better performance. It also opens up more opportunities for women to succeed and contributes to a more inclusive and fairer society.

“By making sure the public sector has equal representation at the top, we want to inspire the private sector to lift its game.

“We’re encouraging organisations across New Zealand to challenge current workplace cultures and support women into leadership roles, not just because that’s the fair thing to do, but also because diversity helps organisations function more effectively.

“Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa is working towards having ethnicity data for boards available next year. This will give us better information about the ethnic makeup of our boards with a view to ensure diversity and representation of all New Zealanders.

“This government knows that boards should represent and reflect the communities they serve, and we are working towards that.

“I want to encourage women who are interested in being on boards to register for the Ministry for Women’s nominations service,” said Julie Anne Genter.

The Gender Stocktake of State Sector Boards and Committees is undertaken annually by the Ministry for Women. More than 2,600 appointments are made to state sector boards every year. These include large SOEs, conservation boards, and community trusts.