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Action Plan
The Action Plan for Women outlines the government's five year agenda to improve women's lives.
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Status of Women in new zealand
New Zealand's 6th CEDAW report to the United Nations has been released.
Quick facts
Population
In the five years to 2001, New Zealand residents born overseas increased by 93,000. New Zealand-born citizens increased by just 42,000.
In 2001, almost one in four New Zealand females were born overseas, mostly in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Health
Refugee women and their families often face significant psychological difficulties resulting in on-going mental health problems, in particular post-traumatic stress disorder.
Most women from refugee backgrounds will have had limited access to health care before arriving in New Zealand. New Zealand’s system of general practitioners and of referral to a specialist is unfamiliar and requires careful explanation. Many women will have had no family planning education, little or no previous cervical and breast screening, and may have mental health issues following trauma.
Women from refugee backgrounds may have difficulty accessing health care services in New Zealand due to language, financial and cultural barriers and difficulty finding childcare and transport.
While culture and ethnicity are a major factor to be considered in addressing the health care needs of refugee women other factors such as the experience of violence and sexual assault, multiple grief and loss, and the trauma of resettlement are also a major influence on a client's state of health and response to health care.
