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The material posted here was provided to the Division for the Advancement 

of Women by the Government in response to a note verbale. It has been made

available in electronic format from the form received.

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New Zealand Report: National Achievements In Implementing The Beijing Declaration and Platform For Action (February 1997)

1. Translation of Beijing Platform for Action into National Language(s)

   Although English is the language used nationally, New Zealand has two official languages - English and Maori. The Platform has not been translated into Maori.

2. Adaptation of Beijing Platform for Action into information kits, simplified versions etc

   (a) Ministry of Women's Affairs

   Prior to the Beijing Conference the Ministry of Women's Affairs distributed draft copies of the Platform widely for discussion amongst NGOs. Copies were also supplied to other government departments.

   After the Conference, the agreed Platform was supplied to all key women's organisations. In December 1995 the Ministry published an issue of its newsletter, Panui, which described the achievements of the Beijing conference. Ten thousand copies were distributed. A copy is attached.

   To mark International Women's Day on 8 March 1996, the Minister of Women's Affairs launched Beijing and beyond : the report of the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women. This document is a full account of what happened prior to Beijing and in Beijing and it discusses the key agreements reached in each of the critical areas of concern. A copy is enclosed.

   (b) Non-governmental organisations

   New Zealand NGOs formed a co-ordinating committee prior to the Beijing Conference. Members of the Committee prepared a display about the achievements of New Zealand women which they took to Forum 95 in Beijing. The display was summarised in a colourful booklet, published in several languages, which was also distributed widely at the Forum. The NGO Committee received sponsorship from a number of New Zealand companies and organisations.

   On their return from the Conference NGOs summarised the Beijing Platform for Action and made it an integral part of the display. The NGO Co-ordinating Committee toured the display to 21 centres in New Zealand from February to July 1996. The display was mounted in shopping centres, educational institutions and libraries.

   In each centre a consultative forum was also held so that women were able to identify the key issues in the Platform which they wanted to see addressed. Ministry of Women's Affairs staff addressed each forum and the Ministry's publications about the Conference were distributed.

   To assist the discussion the NGOs prepared a summary of the Beijing Platform for Action and drew attention to key recommendations.

   The display and forums received good media coverage in a number of towns and cities.

   The NGOs published a report on the forums - Beyond Beijing - the New Zealand way : New Zealand women's response to the Platform for Action from the UN Fourth World Conference on Women.

   Other NGOs also prepared reports on key issues arising from the Platform for Action e.g. the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women (Inc) and Soroptimist International of New Zealand.

3. National Plan of Action

   (a) Formulation

   In her speech to the Beijing Conference the New Zealand Minister of Women's Affairs stated that she planned "to use the actions outlined in the Platform as the basis for developing a strategy for New Zealand women in terms of the areas of legislative, administrative and attitudinal change that still need attention".

   Immediately after the Conference the Ministry of Women's Affairs analysed the Platform for Action and identified six cross-cutting themes of the Platform which could be addressed by the New Zealand government. These are:

   • mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development of all policies and programmes
   • information on women's unremunerated work and its application to policy development
   • the gender pay gap
   • the need for more and better data collection about all aspects of women's lives
   • the recommendations which apply specifically to Maori women and girls as indigenous people
   • enhancing women's role in decision-making including through a government commitment to "gender balance" on all government-appointed committees, boards and other relevant official bodies.

   In March 1996 the Cabinet asked the Ministry of Women's Affairs to work with other relevant government departments and to report on work in progress and policy options to address these issues.

   (b) Implementation

   A progress report on each of the cross-cutting themes was presented the Minister of Women's Affairs in December. This reported that substantial progress had been achieved in each of the areas, with at least initial discussions having been held with officials in other relevant government departments. The Ministry plans to provide a further report to the Coalition Government shortly.

   (c) Monitoring

   The strategies which are being developed will each include a review and monitoring component.

4. National Plans of Action in specific sectors

   (a) Mainstreaming a gender perspective

   The Ministry of Women's Affairs published The full picture : guidelines for gender analysis : how to achieve quality in policy and services in September 1995. This publication which sets out a framework for how to carry out gender analysis has been distributed widely to government departments and other organisations. The Ministry of Women's Affairs has also provided seminars to policy analysts in a number of government departments. A pilot programme has been established with the Social Policy Agency.

   Discussions are continuing with relevant central agencies on the approaches that Government may adopt in mainstreaming gender analysis.

   (b) Women's unremunerated work

   Ministry of Women's Affairs' staff have worked closely with Statistics New Zealand to secure funding for a survey on unpaid work/time-use. Priority for this was signalled in the Women's Issues section of the Coalition Agreement when the Government was formed. Confirmation of the available funding is expected shortly.

   (c) Gender pay gap

   The Ministry of Women's Affairs has recently worked on a framework for analysing the factors underlying the gender pay gap; commissioned forecasts by the New Zealand Institute for Economic Research on the gender pay gap to the year 2001; and analysed current legislation and options for reform. The Ministry is also working on a project with the Education and Training Support Agency which has been designed to increase the numbers of women who participate in industry training.

   (d) Data collection about women's lives

   To improve data collection about women's lives the Ministry has contributed advice on and supported:

   • the Statistics New Zealand Household Labour Force Survey supplementary section on income for which funding was confirmed in 1996
   • the forthcoming Statistics New Zealand longitudinal survey of income dynamics as well as other topics
   • the planned Department of Labour Childcare Survey.

   It is hoped that funding for the latter two projects will be secured during the Budget round.

   (e) Maori women and girls

   The Ministry of Women's Affairs has undertaken a stocktake of relevant departmental activity which confirmed that there are relatively few policies or programmes which are targeted specifically to Maori women and girls. The Ministry plans to develop a Maori women's gender analysis framework along with further strategies for action.

   (f) Women and decision-making

   The Ministry is continuing to improve the quality and use of its Nominations Service. This includes strengthening the participation by Maori women and Pacific Islands women in decision-making roles. The Ministry is also exploring ways of more actively monitoring the composition of statutory boards and committees so that progress towards gender balance can be more accurately monitored.

5. Actions taken to achieve strategic objectives

   The Government decided to take a cross-sectoral thematic approach because there were already a range of Government initiatives in place which specifically addressed the 12 critical areas of concern. It was felt that through this approach the Government would be able to address some of the factors underlying the critical areas of concern, rather than simply taking one-off actions. Examples included the Employment Task Force package, changes to domestic violence policies and legislation, censorship legislation, further Government funding of the Maori Women's Development Fund and human rights legislation.

   In addition, there were a number of policy initiatives that were under consideration which are likely to have a positive impact on women. Examples include review of matrimonial property laws, the Crime Prevention package, sexual and reproductive health policy, the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, the Optional Protocol on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

6. Other activities

   The Ministry of Women's Affairs will continue to work closely with NGOs on those key issues which have arisen from the Beijing Platform for Action.