On March 8th we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) and in 2023 we mark the 130th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand, but women in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world still don’t have access to equality. What is holding us back?

Te Kaunihera Wāhine o Aotearoa National Council of Women of New Zealand welcomes the National Party’s announcement of its policy on increased support for childcare. This shows that both the major parties recognise the value of providing safe, affordable and appropriate childcare.

Te Kaunihera Wahine o Aotearoa National Council of Women of New Zealand welcomes the Government’s announcement of increased access to childcare subsidies. Resetting the threshold for low income earners will ensure almost all sole parents are able to benefit from this significant step forward.

Rising costs of childcare over the last decade have eroded parents’ ability to choose whether or not to work. High housing costs and increasing inflation mean many families with children are simply unable to pay for childcare. In these cases, it is mostly women's choices that are limited and women who have to drop their hours at work or bring their babies with them. Increased access to childcare subsidies will have far-reaching effects on the ability to work, on lifelong earnings and economic independence, and on access to more choices for sole parents – who are primarily women.

The National Council of Women New Zealand Te Kaunihera Wāhine o Aotearoa (NCWNZ) is disappointed that our state-owned broadcaster, TVNZ, is not screening one of the major international women’s sporting events of the year, the 2021 Rugby World Cup, and has instead chosen to screen the T20 International Men’s Cricket Tri-Series live in a competing time-slot.

“This was a golden opportunity to celebrate and showcase a major women’s sporting event hosted in New Zealand, and instead TVNZ has chosen to ignore it and prioritise men's cricket. We are deeply disappointed in this decision," NCWNZ President Dr Suzanne Manning said today.

Descendants of suffragists Kate Sheppard and Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia, will be present at a special event in Parliament on 13 September 2022 to celebrate the 125-year anniversary of the National Council of Women of New Zealand, Te Kaunihera Wahine o Aotearoa, one of the leading women’s organisations in New Zealand.

“The National Council of Women has a long and proud history of promoting women’s equality,” Suzanne Manning, President of NCWNZ said today. “But it’s extraordinary that over 125 years later, New Zealand women have still not achieved some of the changes our foremothers campaigned for, such as equal pay for work of equal value, protection for low-paid workers and economic independence.” 

The National Council of Women New Zealand, Te Kaunihera Wāhine o Aotearoa (NCWNZ) joins with Abortion Law Reform New Zealand (ALRANZ) in condemning the United States Supreme Court judgment that overturns Roe v Wade.

“This is a massive set-back for women’s reproductive rights and we feel for American women and the grief and anguish they must be experiencing," NCWNZ President Dr Suzanne Manning said. "Banning abortions won’t make abortions disappear. It will only drive abortion underground, increase risk and escalate major health issues for women. Poor women, women of colour, disabled women and LGBTIQ people will be the worst affected."

“Our benefit system is having to be tweaked and augmented to get us through this crisis, but once we have landed in the new normal we will still be living in unequal communities.”

That from the President of the National Council of Women New Zealand, Lisa Lawrence who believes that we need to tip the table and start afresh.

Media Release

“New Zealand women are being let down by systems and institutions that continue to disenfranchise them.” says National President of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ), Lisa Lawrence, who strongly believes there must be an urgent focus on creating equity which fosters equality, and supports everyone to reach their full potential.

The National Council of Women NZ has today welcomed the news that the Government has purchased Kate Sheppard’s house in Christchurch, the base for the NZ suffrage campaign.

“We are pleased to see the home of our founding president purchased by the government for use as a heritage venue, public space and educational centre,” says Vice President of the National Council of Women NZ, Lisa Lawrence (Ngati Kahungunu).

Inclusion for trans women/men and non-binary peoples has today been announced as the cornerstone of a new resolution for the National Council of Women New Zealand (NCWNZ).

The resolution, which was passed by the Council’s members, supports the Gender Equal NZ movement which works to achieve equality for all genders in Aotearoa New Zealand.