Nominations Service
The Nominations Service is part of the Ministry of Women's Affairs. Find out more about its work to increase the number of women on state sector boards.
Overview
A main priority for the Ministry of Women's Affairs is to advance women in leadership in New Zealand. One of the ways we work towards this is to increase the number of women serving on governance boards and committees.
Through our Nominations Service, we provide:
- an avenue through which women can register their interest in and availability to take up board appointments – see Nominations Database
- a place where Government officials and others seeking board candidates can get access to a professional service that will help them find the right woman for the job.
We also
- work with key individuals and organisations in the public and private sectors to increase the number of women on boards – see Who we work with
- research and publish information that inspires and encourages women to participate in leadership and decision-making roles.
Our Nominations Service is staffed by a small team of people who work solely in this area.
My first involvement with a Board was in 2006 when I was appointed to the Engineering Association Registration Board. It all started with an email from the Ministry of Women's Affairs looking for women to put forward for a position on the board.
Nominations Database
Our Nominations Service keeps a database of women from all sectors and professions who have the appropriate skills and experience to serve on boards and committees.
We are regularly consulted on appointments to over 400 state sector boards and committees by government officials in appointing agencies. The full list of state sector boards and committees is here.
After that first appointment I thought “I can really do this”, so I got myself on the Ministry of Women's Affairs' and Office for Disability Issues' nomination databases. They are easy to use – you just upload your CV and boards looking for a new member can search the database and find people they think might be suitable. Sometimes the process can take a while though.
When director positions become available on state sector boards, we offer a professional search service that identifies women who best meet the criteria specified by the agency responsible for appointments.
These nominations are then considered by the government agency responsible for those appointments – see Nominations Process.
It’s important to keep in mind that:
- the process for appointing people to board roles is highly competitive and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs is only one source of advice and candidates for the appointing agencies
- registering for the database does not guarantee you will be offered a board position, though it increases the chance that you will be considered for roles.
See What we look for for more information about our criteria and what we look for in candidates.
How we can help you
Serving on a board or committee can be a highly satisfying, rewarding and challenging experience. Find out if you’ve got what it takes to serve on a board by looking through our What we look for section.
If you think you’re ready to join a state sector board and would like to be considered for our database, then you can submit your CV and details to our Nominations Team who will assess your CV against the skills and experience commonly sought for government boards.
If you want to find out more about serving on a board and how to increase your chances of being appointed, visit the Our advice section of this website. This will help you better understand what it takes to serve on a board, what you are likely to get out of it, and what you may have to offer a board.
While our focus is on state sector board roles, sometimes we can connect a suitably skilled and experienced woman on our database with a private sector or not-for-profit board role.
Releasing personal information
In order for the Nominations Service to nominate women for governance roles, we need to share their personal information with third parties as appropriate.
These third parties are generally Ministers and their officials, but may include representatives of other companies or organisations (including private companies, recruitment agencies, and not-for-profit organisations).
When women register with our database, we ask that them to read our Release of Personal Information Agreement and then inform us by email that they understand how their personal information may be used.
