Economic Sustainability

If women are to sustain a reasonable standard of living and provide for, or help provide for, the future of their families/whānau, they require access to a good level of income and the skills and knowledge that will help them maximise their financial resources.

DESIRED OUTCOME:
The economic independence of women in New Zealand will be improved.

KEY INDICATOR:
Median annual income by age group, gender and ethnicity. (Additional economic indicators to be developed.)

Major initiatives by government to achieve improvements in employment and standards of living include the government’s Employment Strategy, which identifies the need to improve participation in employment, earnings and the quality of employment for a number of groups that include women, mature job seekers and people with disabilities. The strategy also targets improvements in employment for Māori and Pacific peoples.

The government is working to improve pay and employment equity through the Pay Equity Taskforce. Implementation of a five-year action plan on pay and employment equity in the public service, and the public health and education sectors, will commence in 2004.

The Ministry of Social Development has led the government’s major review of social assistance support. Women make up more than 80 per cent of sole parent families and are over-represented in the lower-income groups. Changes to social assistance will increase family income for low-income earners and improve circumstances for many women in New Zealand.

In support of women in employment, the Ministries of Education and Social Development are developing policies to improve access to affordable early child- hood education and care. Targeted assistance to families requiring supported care for dependants, and elder care for older family members, will continue.

To improve women’s financial security, initiatives aim to help women access financial planning advice and increase their uptake of retirement savings schemes, in order to assist women in providing for their future and that of their families/whānau.

The achievement of higher qualifications improves women’s opportunities to gain sustainable employment. The government is committed to reducing the impact of student loans on women and working towards improving the affordability of tertiary education for women.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs has prioritised the area of economic sustainability and developed new initiatives to:

Establish the Women in Enterprise Steering Group, which will work to boost productivity by identifying success factors for small and medium-sized enterprises. With increasing numbers of women entering small business, this initiative aims to enhance sustainable business growth among businesses owned and operated by women, particularly Māori women (with a focus on enterprises in growth sectors such as the Creative Industries). (1)
Assist Māori women in gaining governance and management skills. With increasing numbers of Māori women entering small business, and a number of settlements being finalised through the Waitangi Tribunal, this initiative seeks to ensure Māori women can access the skills they need to support their involvement in both business and the management of collectively owned assets.
The Ministry is also co-ordinating a research programme to identify strategies that may progress Pacific women’s economic well-being. This work is being progressed in conjunction with the Ministries of Pacific Island Affairs and Economic Development. Outcomes of the project will inform the Women in Enterprise Steering Group and a range of other initiatives.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Government Actions

TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE OF WOMEN IN NEW ZEALAND, THE GOVERNMENT WILL:

1.1 Improve women's participation in employment, earnings, and quality of employment

1.2 Improve women's economic well-being

1.3 Increase the success of women, particularly Māori women, in enterprise

1.4 Increase women's participation in leadership and decision-making in the economic sector.

ACTIONS	LEAD AGENCIES	MILESTONES
1.1.1 PAY AND EMPLOYMENT EQUITY Implement a plan of action to address the gender pay gap and promote equal pay for work of equal value in the public service, and the public health and education sectors.	DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR with the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Treasury, State Services Commission officials and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.	i. Action plan complete by March 2004 ii. Implementation from 2004 to 2009 iii. Review plan of action 2009.
1.1.2 EMPLOYMENT QUALITY - DEVELOP A DECENT WORK ACTION PLAN Develop a Decent Work Action Plan (DWAP) as a tool to realise decent work in New Zealand, including considerations of gender.	DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR in consultation with Business New Zealand, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, non-government organisations and other agencies.	i. Stocktake of policies, programmes and initiatives that contribute to decent work in New Zealand by June 2004 ii. Analysis of New Zealand's progress and deficits against the decent work agenda by June 2004 iii. Develop a framework for the DWAP by December 2004 iv. Implementation dates to be finalised.
1.1.3 PARTICIPATION IN EMPLOYMENT Explore initiatives to increase women's participation in the paid workforce, particularly sole parents, as part of the government's review of the family income assistance regime.	MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT	i. Review of family income assistance regime completed by April 2004> ii. Implementation of reforms from Budget 2004/2005.
Explore ways to increase women's participation in Modern Apprenticeships in industries where women are not well represented. Strengthen the contract with Modern Apprenticeships co-ordinators to improve the promotion of apprenticeships to women. Work with Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) to break down barriers to women's participation in Modern Apprenticeships. Review access to information on Modern Apprenticeships for members of the public to ensure the needs of under-represented groups are met.	TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION with the Department of Labour, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Women's Affairs.	i. Contracts revised and in force by 2004 ii. Review proposals from ITOs and report back to the Ministers of Women's Affairs, Māori Affairs and Pacific Island Affairs by November 2005 iii. Access to information reviewed by June 2004.
Implement the Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Strategy to assist migrant and refugee women to attain the English language skills they need for participation in employment.	MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION	i. Develop and disseminate ESOL information resources by mid 2004 ii. Review progress late 2004.
1.2.1 RETIREMENT SAVINGS Develop a targeted campaign to enhance the provision of financial advice to women, and to improve women's uptake of retirement savings schemes, to assist women in providing for their future and that of their families/whānau.	RETIREMENT COMMISSION AND MINISTRY OFWOMEN'S AFFAIRS in consultation with other government agencies.	i. Large-scale public/media promotion scheduled for March 2004 ii. Education and provision of advice to increase women's involvement in financial planning (ongoing).
1.2.2 SUPPORT FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS Reduce the impact of student loans on women. Progressively implement an agreed package of student support initiatives to improve the affordability of tertiary education for women.	MINISTRY OF EDUCATION with the Ministries of Social Development and Women's Affairs, Treasury, and the Inland Revenue Department.	Changes to the Student Support System to be considered in Budget 2004/2005
1.2.3 FAMILY INCOME ASSISTANCE REVIEW Implement changes to ensure social assistance improves levels of family income, reduces long-term social assistance dependency, and encourages participation in the paid workforce.	MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT in consultation with other government agencies.	i. Review of family income assistance regime completed by April 2004 ii. Implementation of reforms from Budget 2004/2005.
1.3.1 WOMEN IN ENTERPRISE Establish a cross-departmental steering group to identify success factors for small and medium-sized enterprises, to enhance sustainable business growth among businesses owned and operated by women, particularly by Māori women, in growth sectors that include the Creative Industries.	MINISTRIES OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT in conjunction with stakeholders, Māori groups and non-government organisations.	i. Steering group established by February 2004 ii. Policy options developed by November 2004.
Ensure the evaluation framework for foundation and growth services includes gender based assessment against outcomes and service effectiveness, to improve targeting of assistance to women in business.	NEW ZEALAND TRADE AND ENTERPRISE and the Ministries of Economic Development and Foreign Affairs and Trade.	Progress report on revised framework by November 2004.
Develop innovative ways to increase the uptake of the Enterprise Development Fund by women business owners and operators, to maximise the potential of the increasing number of women moving into small business.	NEW ZEALAND TRADE & ENTERPRISE and the Ministries of Women's Affairs and Economic Development.	Pilot developed by June 2004.
1.3.2 PACIFIC WOMEN'S ECONOMIC WELL-BEING Complete a research programme to identify strategies that will progress Pacific women's economic well-being.	MINISTRIES OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS, Pacific Island Affairs and Economic Development.	Research complete by June 2005.
1.3.3 MĀORI WOMEN AND COLLECTIVELY OWNED ASSETS Through the Te Puni Kōkiri governance working group, develop initiatives, where required, to assist Māori women to gain the necessary expertise in governance, management and business capability to participate effectively in managing collectively owned assets.	TE PUNI KŌKIRI in conjunction with the Ministries of Women's Affairs and Economic Development, the Māori Women's Welfare League and Māori Women's Development Inc.	i. Assess training and assistance available, and identify needs, by February 2004 ii. Develop policy options and recommendations by November 2004.
1.4.1 PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP AND DECISION- MAKING ROLES IN THE ECONOMIC SECTOR Improve women's participation in leadership and decision-making roles by monitoring women's representation and participation at senior levels in business and the education sector, and by providing nominations to government boards with an economic focus.	MINISTRY OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS	Achieve 50/50 representation on government boards by 2010.

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