This is the ninth report on New Zealand’s efforts to eliminate discrimination against women since ratifying the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1985. It shows that under the current Government many positive, evidence-based actions aimed at reducing intersectional discrimination against women have been curtailed, paused, or cancelled. 

The committee recommends a range of legislative changes to support and protect the health, representation and financial independence of women. The report also notes that Māori, Pacific and disabled women face particular/additional challenges and intersecting barriers of racism and dis(ableism). 

The report is accompanied by three factsheets on: Indigenous women's rights, violence and abuse towards women, and dignity and socio economic status.

Key findings

• The Commission is concerned about the lack of protection and respect for key constitutional documents and conventions including the Bill of Rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Measures to improve intersectional equity and representation and reduce discrimination to women are often defunded or dismantled on the basis of austerity and formal equality. 
• In 2019, the Welfare Expert Advisory Group made 42 high-level recommendations to restore dignity to the social security system. By 2023, none of the recommendations had been fully implemented.  
• The report finds that women’s socioeconomic security is more precarious than that of men across a range of indicators. 
•  The current Government’s legislative agenda is systematically removing, repealing and undermining both historical and recent advances achieved through persistent Māori advocacy, and the limited legal protections that currently exist.   

Recommendations to the New Zealand Government

• Ensure that all policy and legislative processes include intersectional gender and impact analysis and take a human rights-based approach.
• Facilitate human rights understanding and empower participation in democratic processes, especially for marginalised communities.
• Avoid regression and ensure environmental and Indigenous peoples’ rights, Te Tiriti, and gender-based approaches are integrated into all policy-making for climate change prevention and response.
• Ensure an adequate standard of living and adjust income support rates to those recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group.
• Introduce appropriate temporary special measures to ensure equal employment opportunity by gender, ethnicity and disability. 
• Introduce pay transparency legislation.