Shameful Record on Gender Income Gap

New Zealand First Deputy Leader Tracey Martin says the National Government should be ashamed that nothing has been done to improve the gender income gap between men and women under its watch.

“The Salvation’s Army’s latest State of the Nation report entitled ‘A Mountain All Can Climb’, highlights a number of social areas where the government could do better, including the dismal statistics comparing the amount women earn compared to men.

“It quotes the New Zealand Income Survey estimate that women earn about 75% of what men earn with the gender gap unchanged since 2009.

“This is an abysmal state of affairs and shows the government doesn’t care about improving the plight of women in the workplace.

“In fact the Minister for Women has confirmed to me in writing that her Government has not replaced the 2004 to 2009 Gender Equality Action Plan even though her predecessor assured the United Nations in 2012 that they were doing so.

“Rest home caregiver Kristine Bartlett has already been forced to fight through the courts for equal pay for work of equal value in her field which is dominated by women on low wages.

“The government should be issued with a fail grade for allowing the gender income gap to stagnate.

“Women must be valued for their contribution to New Zealand’s workforce and not be treated like second class citizens when it comes to equal pay with their male counterparts.”

ENDS

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