Putting Women’s Equality on the Election Agenda

New Zealand’s main political parties and their women’s equality policies will be challenged at a public forum at the University Of Auckland, Lecture Theatre Lib B28 tomorrow evening from 7PM.

Chaired by Dr Judy McGregor, Head of the School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, AUT, the forum speakers are Erica Stanford (National Party); Tracey Martin (NZ First), Jan Logie (Green Party), Carmel Sepuloni (Labour Party), Cinnamon Whitlock, (Māori Party) and Tracey Lee Repia (Mana Party).

Each MP will make a four minute presentation, followed by a Q and A. Topics will include the women’s equality issues currently affecting New Zealanders:

· Equal Pay
· Violence Against Women
· Women’s Reproductive Rights
· Women’s under-representation in STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, Maths)
· Women and the housing crisis

The event has been organised by a partnership of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (Auckland Branch), Auckland Women's Centre, AUSA Women's Rights Officers, the Hand Mirror Blog and the Auckland Women's Studies Association NZ/Pae Akoranga Wāhine.

Leonie Morris, Centre Manager, Auckland Women’s Centre says “the next New Zealand Government needs to put women’s issues at the forefront of policy change. As the first country to allow women the vote, New Zealand should consider itself a champion of gender equality. It is 2017 and still 1 in 3 women experience abuse from their partner or ex-partner, our average hourly wage is 14% less than men, and women do twice as much unpaid work as men!”
ENDS

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