Well-being

Personal well-being combines health and social factors with a focus on improving access to services, preventing violence against women, and addressing physical and mental health issues specifically affecting women.

DESIRED OUTCOME:
The quality of life of all New Zealand women will be improved.

KEY INDICATORS:
Quality-adjusted life year index (a key measure of health and social indicators).

(Key indicators for social well-being will be identified by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in consultation with the Ministry of Social Development and Statistics New Zealand.)

Priority actions by government in the areas of well-being include initiatives to improve aspects of women's lives where they experience particularly poor outcomes across a range of indicators. Key health issues for women targeted for action by the Ministry of Health include sexual and reproductive health, mental health, smoking and obesity.

The government's Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy targets reductions in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies, with a particular focus on teenage pregnancies. Work to improve mental health services includes the development of guidelines for Primary Health Organisations (PHOs). The Healthy Eating, Healthy Action: Oranga Kai, Oranga Pumau programme (to be implemented in 2004) addresses obesity. The Aukati Kai Paipa smoking cessation programme specifically targets the reduction of smoking among Māori women.

In the social area, family violence is a major issue that adversely affects the health, economic status, social participation and general well-being of women and their children. The government's Te Rito: New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy, led by the Ministry of Social Development, targets the prevention of violence against women of all ages, with a focus on preventing spouse/partner abuse, child abuse/neglect and elder abuse/neglect.

Another priority issue for women highlighted through the Plan consultation process is a lack of access to services, with the greatest impact felt by women with disabilities and those living in rural communities. Ethnic women also identified cultural barriers to access and had specific concerns related to the provision of mental health services. The Office for Disability Issues, Ministry of Social Development, Department of Internal Affairs, State Services Commission and Ministry of Health lead a range of programmes and initiatives targeting improvements in access to services.

The government's investment in Heartland Services, through the Ministry of Social Development, expands the availability of government services to rural women. The Ministry of Health's Primary Health Care Strategy will improve the provision of health services and the Access Funding Formula will improve access to services by reducing financial barriers.

The Ministry of Women's Affairs will contribute gender specific advice and monitor priority areas towards achieving improvements in outcomes for women across the range of health and social indicators. The Ministry will also work to increase the numbers of women participating in leadership and decision-making roles in the social sector.

WELL-BEING

Government Actions

TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF NEW ZEALAND WOMEN, THE GOVERNMENT WILL:

3.1 Improve access to services, including mental health services, particularly for rural women, women with disabilities, older women and ethnic women

3.2 Reduce the incidence and impact of violence on women

3.3 Improve women's health

3.4 Increase the participation of women in leadership and decision-making roles in the health and social sectors.

ACTIONS	LEAD AGENCIES	MILESTONES
3.1.1 NEW ZEALAND DISABILITY STRATEGY The Ministry of Women's Affairs will work with the Office for Disability Issues to encourage government departments to include disabled women's issues in their annual New Zealand Disability Strategy implementation plans.	MINISTRY OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS AND OFFICE FOR DISABILITY ISSUES	Initiatives to promote the participation of women with disabilities developed by June 2005.
3.1.2 HEARTLAND SERVICES Expand the number of Heartland Services to improve availability of government services, including health and justice, to rural women and regional communities.	MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT	i. Evaluation complete by June 2004 ii. Service Centres increased (by five) to 30 by June 2004.
3.1.3 TELEPHONE INTERPRETING SERVICE Implement outcomes of pilot telephone interpreting service in support of improved access to government services for non-English speaking people, and people who speak limited English.	DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS' OFFICE OF ETHNIC AFFAIRS in partnership with other government agencies.	i. Extend pilot programme to June 2004 ii. Propose 12-month extension to pilot programme in Budget 2004/2005 iii. Report on ongoing interpreting solutions by 30 November 2004.
3.1.4 E-GOVERNMENT Enhance the accessibility of government services through information and communications technology, which will help to address access issues for women with disabilities and rural women.	STATE SERVICES COMMISSION	i. Internet provides dominant means of access by June 2004 ii. Internet technologies integral to delivery of government information services by June 2007 iii. Access to government transformed through use of the internet by June 2010.
3.1.5 ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES Establish PHOs in rural areas, staffed by skilled health workers and qualified medical practitioners, to improve access to primary health care services for women and their families and whānau.	DISTRICT HEALTH BOARDS AND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH	Primary health services delivered through PHOs by mid 2004.
3.2.1 TE RITO: NEW ZEALAND FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION STRATEGY Improve the safety and well-being of women, particularly in relation to spouse/partner abuse, child abuse/neglect and elder abuse/neglect, through ongoing implementation and reporting on the progress of Te Rito, in particular: Attitudinal change by encouraging intolerance of violence and increasing society's awareness and part in prevention of family violence Effective, integrated and co-ordinated responses to family violence situations and ensuring quality and accessible services Prevention by providing education and support, and identifying violence early Culturally relevant approaches to prevention A consistent and ongoing commitment to family violence prevention.	MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT in partnership with other government agencies	i. Continue implementation of Te Rito to June 2006 ii. Report to Cabinet on progress on a six-monthly basis 2004-2006.
3.2.2 CRIME REDUCTION STRATEGY Improve safety for women, girls and older women by continuing the implementation of the Crime Reduction Strategy. In particular, develop interventions aimed at potential or actual offenders, and potential or actual victims, especially Māori, Pacific peoples, at risk families, and those affected by drugs, alcohol or gambling.	MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND MINISTRY OF HEALTH in partnership with other government agencies	i. Action plan for reducing community violence and sexual violence developed by early 2004 ii. Implementation of action plan currently scheduled for July 2004.
Implement the Family Violence Circuit Breaker initiatives. Develop and pilot tikanga based rehabilitative programmes for Māori women inmates and offenders on community based sentences.	MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS	June 2004.
3.3.1 SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH Implement the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted infections and number of unwanted pregnancies with a particular focus on teenage pregnancies. Develop a framework for a cross-sector approach to reducing teenage pregnancy. Implement a public health campaign on sexual and reproductive health and survey sexual and reproductive health behaviours every two years.	MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND DISTRICT HEALTH BOARDS	i. Framework for reducing teenage pregnancies developed by June 2004 ii. Two-yearly sexual and reproductive health survey by 2004.
3.3.2 MĀORI WOMEN'S SMOKING RATES Develop and implement initiatives that reduce Māori women's smoking. Continue funding and support for Māori specific smoking cessation programmes, such as the successful Aukati Kai Paipa programme for Māori women.	MINISTRY OF HEALTH	By 2008, reduce prevalence of smoking to: i. 35% of Māori adults (15 years+) ii. 25% of young Māori iii. 30% of pregnant Māori women.
3.3.3 MENTAL HEALTH Promote and deliver improved mental health services by developing service guidelines for mental health in primary care. Promote services that meet the needs of women who access mental health services within their communities. Implement mental health service guidelines through PHOs and the Primary Health Care Strategy.	MINISTRY OF HEALTH	Guidelines to improve mental health services completed early 2004.
3.3.4 OBESITY Implement and monitor the Healthy Eating, Healthy Action: Oranga Kai, Oranga Pumau Strategy - a national plan of action for nutrition, physical activity and healthy weight. The strategy promotes improving nutrition, physical activity and healthy weight to prevent and reduce the incidence of obesity in women and their families/whānau.	MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND DISTRICT HEALTH BOARDS	Develop implementation plan for Healthy Eating, Healthy Action by 31 May 2004.
3.4.1 PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING Improve women's participation in leadership and decision-making by monitoring women's representation and participation at senior levels in the health and justice sectors, and providing nominations to government boards with a focus on well-being.	MINISTRY OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS	Achieve 50/50 representation on government boards by 2010.

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Last modified: May 28, 2008 12:15 am

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