International Women’s Day

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, March 8th, 2010 - 6 comments
Categories: feminism, International, sexism, workers' rights - Tags:

Happy International Women’s Day. If only there was something to celebrate:

Minister needs to deliver for NZ women too

Monday, 8 March 2010, 9:23 am
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

The Council of Trade Unions wants the Minister of Women’s Affairs to mark International Women’s Day by paying more attention to working women in New Zealand. ‘We are deeply concerned about the current attacks on workers’ rights that will badly impact on women,’ said CTU President Helen Kelly.

Commenting yesterday on the Minister’s appearance in New York in support of a streamlined United Nations Gender Equity body, Helen Kelly said that the Minister also has to start considering the impact of some of her Government’s policies on women workers at home. ‘The Minister must start acting at home as well as proclaiming abroad,’ said Kelly.

‘We want to see some action by the Minister in three specific areas: firstly, pay equity; secondly, representation of women in decision making; and thirdly the impact of Government policies on working women. …

Deliver for women “too”? Who has this government delivered for? Anyway – read the whole press release here.

6 comments on “International Women’s Day ”

  1. Julie 1

    For those interested I’ve got a round-up of local IWD related posts and releases going here:
    http://thehandmirror.blogspot.com/2010/03/international-womens-day-round-up.html

    Looking forward to seeing some discussion here about these issues, thanks for posting.

    • r0b 1.1

      No worries Julie. And remember you can always email us stuff, or do a guest post (with the “Contribute post” button).

      • Julie 1.1.1

        Thanks r0b, what’s the best email to send stuff to, as I’ve done that sometimes but not sure it’s got through? (lprent tells me I still have posting privileges from when i did the live election night blog, but I’m busy enough with one blog as it is! 🙂

        • r0b 1.1.1.1

          As per the Contact page it is:

          thestandardnz (at) gmail (dot) com

          I’m not the one who reads that address so can’t say if your stuff has got through, but it used to be very reliable back when I didn’t have a log in and was sending guest posts.

          I’m busy enough with one blog as it is!

          Aye!

  2. Jum 2

    And now the Ministry of Women’s Affairs looks set to be swallowed up by Ministry of Social Development under Paula Bennett. Even the money dribbled out to it by government ($2million) is being spent mostly on a TEN YEAR study of female graduates receiving lower pay then males.

    Insulting and disappointing that the NZ women who should be fighting this inhumane treatment by government have voted for this government. Shame on them. Are they so sure of their status in this country that they don’t see the outcomes? Women being laid off work in droves, being ‘encouraged’ to take voluntary positions in community charity organisations, full time workers being forced into part time work – all this designed to weaken the working women’s strength in numbers. If they don’t stay together and support one another, they will lose what few gains they have made.

    Happy International Women’s Day.

    • A Nonny Moose 2.1

      Gubmint: “But but but…look at the *cough*token*cough* WIMMENZ we have heading so many ministries *cough*thatwewanttofail*cough*”

      (Enter 2011 election, Nats look for a scapegoat.)

      Exiting Gubmint: “Our failures were the Ministers of EDUCATION! SOCIAL WELFARE! WOMEN’S AFFAIRS! We blame teh wimminz! See! Wimminz can’t handle the jandal! Men had to come clean up their messes! There’s your reasons for not needing Women’s Affairs, and letting them into our Hallowed Halls of POWAH.”

      Women Everywhere: “Yeah, we’re not that dumb, John Boy.”