An Aotearoa where everyone is equal
The Green Party will ensure women and gender minorities are valued, respected, and treated fairly.
Everyone should be valued and treated as equals regardless of their gender. While progress has been made, life is unfair and unsafe for far too many women and gender minorities. Women are paid less than men, do more unpaid care work, and retire with a lot less superannuation. Wāhine Māori are also over-represented in our justice systems and are locked out of key services.
The Green Party is committed to upholding equity, social justice and respecting rights. Over the last three years, we have introduced Aotearoa’s first-ever plan to eliminate family violence and sexual violence, Te Aorerekura. As part of this Government, we have extended ACC cover for birth injuries, and introduced safe zones around abortion clinics.
Our plan for next term builds on the progress we have won. An Income Guarantee will lift every family out of poverty and make sure parents and caregivers have what they need to raise healthy, happy children. We will also increase parental leave; raise wages so women are paid equally, and work with wāhine Māori to address disparities.
The time is now to make Aotearoa a place where women and gender minorities get paid fairly, are treated with respect, and are safe.
Our plan
- Ensure equitable representation in Government appointments, particularly supporting the appointment of wāhine Māori, women of colour, disabled women and gender minorities.
- Implement policies to elevate the mana of wāhine Māori and reduce existing social and economic disparities.
- Increase paid parental leave to 15 months, with additional ring-fenced leave for partners, while also increasing payments.
- Close the gender and ethnic pay gap through pay equity settlements, pay transparency measures, and comprehensive pay gap reporting.
- Finalise and resource the Women’s Health Strategy, including implementing a fair funding model for midwives that prioritises high quality care and increases social services during pregnancy and following childbirth.
- Recognise unpaid labour and caregiving by doubling the Best Start Payment to $140 a week and making it universal for all children under three, so families have more support in the first 1000 days.
- Ensure job creation and apprenticeship programmes provide free training and workforce re-entry programmes for parents of school-aged children, and have policies promoting inclusion and diversity.