B4 Travel Blog #3

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Question: How is life for women in New Zealand? Are they treated with equality? If so, how?

New Zealand gives more advantages to women compare to most of the other countries around the world because of their given justice and independence. In fact, New Zealand was the first country to give women right to vote. The right for women developed from then until women were considered equal with men. New Zealand is one of the leader in field of gender equality. New Zealand "ranked sixth out of 135 countries in the Global Gender Gap report for 2011 and fifth out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index"(New Zealand Women). As a leader of gender equality, they citizens of New Zealand are proud of providing women with protection against discrimination. New Zealand women enjoy this independence and protection through equal rights law.

Because of rights given to women, they are able to receive decent education, employment, and prosperity of health. Women, even, continues to perform better than men academically. The development of women's education and completion of studies continually increases in New Zealand. Although women get paid less than men and have greater percentage of unpaid work, "New Zealand's gender pay gap is the second lowest in the OECD and at 9.3 percent (2012), the lowest ever measured in New Zealand."(New Zealand Women). The fact that the lowest pay gap was measured in 2012 shows that pay for women is overtaking the pay for men in New Zealand. New Zealand women are given access to primary care more than during the past; therefore they are are able to improve their health. Screenings and immunisation programs are being used to decrease the rate of health disease for women. The reasons for these advantages for women might be the influence of Queen of England Elizabeth ll, who is the head of the New Zealand as a woman.



http://mwa.govt.nz/new-zealand-women

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