YWCA Equal Pay Awards Celebrate Fairest Places to Work

YWCA Equal Pay Awards Celebrate New Zealand’s Fairest Places to Work

18 June 2019 – Women are paid less than men in every country in the world. The World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap Report found that, at the present rate of progress, it would take 108 years to achieve global gender equality, and 202 years to achieve economic gender parity.

Companies with a demonstrated commitment to pay equity are better placed to attract top performers and enjoy higher retention and engagement levels according to research both in New Zealand[1] and overseas.

New Zealand businesses can gain a competitive recruitment advantage and prove themselves to be fair places for all genders to work by entering the 6th annual Equal Pay Awards.

The 2019 Equal Pay Awards partner with New Zealand’s largest remuneration consultants, Strategic Pay who analyse all data using a robust and standardised methodology to identify high achieving entrants in each industry or sector.

The 2019 awards feature six award categories – five for organisations and one for an individual. A Supreme Winner will be selected from the entrants in the five organisational categories who have provided a full Gender Dashboard including gender pay gap and leadership representation.

The 2019 Equal Pay Awards categories are:

1. Innovation [2]
This award celebrates innovative responses to addressing the equal pay gap. These organisations are not afraid to try new things and look outside the box. An organisation may enter one or more initiatives however, additional entry fees apply.
2. Leadership - Sponsored by SkyCity
This award celebrates organisations who exemplify excellence. These organisations understand the benefits of gender equality and lead the way for others to follow. They are role models who are active in the community and media sharing their stories and inspiring others to follow.

3. Progressive - Sponsored by CCAmatil
This award recognises organisations who have demonstrated commitment to Equal Pay and continue to make sustained advances and improvements to address the issue. They have created a working environment where individuals, regardless of gender, have equal opportunities.

4. On the Journey - Sponsored by Strategic Pay
This Award recognises a milestone achievement by an organisation, which has just begun to embark on its equal pay journey. Organisations may enter one or more initiative that are no more than two years old and they can relate to any of the organisational Award categories.

5. Community - Sponsored by YWCA
This Award recognises an organisation in the ‘profit for purpose’ or ‘not-for-profit’ sectors. We recognise that these organisations have unique pay challenges compared to the private sector and by sharing achievements through this award category, we hope to inspire other organisations to come on the journey. Organisations may enter one or more initiative and they can relate to any of the organisational Award categories.
6. Champion – Sponsored by Ministry for Women
An organisation or individual can nominate this award to go to an individual who has demonstrated commitment to Equal Pay and gender equality. Someone who has inspired others, shared their story, stood up for what they believe and made a meaningful impact. An individual may also choose to enter on their own accord.

New Zealand passed the Equal Pay Act in 1972 but, despite that, women have continued to be paid less than men in the 45 years since then. The gender pay gap in this country persists across different sectors of the economy and exists regardless of qualifications, skills and experience.

YWCA CEO Dellwyn Stuart believes that New Zealand still has a lot of work to do to close the gender pay gap. “No country, including New Zealand is on track to achieve the 2030 gender equality goals they signed up to in 2015[3]. Equal pay combined with flexible work, non-gendered parental and a genuine commitment to fairness have been proven to shift the needle for wider gender inequality issues internationally” she says.
“The initiatives of our previous Equal Pay Award entrants have positively impacted more than 130,000 employees over the past five years. Now it’s time for other businesses to step up and show their current and future employees that they value a fair workplace” says Ms Stuart.

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