COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS New Zealand Group A perspective from women parliamentarians
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP): a brief history Formed 1989, of women MPs from CPA s members (185 national and sub-national parliaments). Looks at ways to increase women s participation in parliament and to mainstream gender considerations in policy and legislation development. Organised into 9 Regions: Africa; Asia; Australia; British Isles and Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic; India; Pacific; and South-East Asia.
CWP New Zealand Group Co-Chairpersons Louisa Wall MP and Jo Hayes MP by the NCW quilt in parliament.
CWP NZ The CWP New Zealand Group is part of the CPA Pacific Region. The CWP New Zealand is a unique forum for women parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to come together and work for gender equality. All financial women members of the CPA New Zealand branch may join the CWP New Zealand Group. Associate membership for male members of parliament, who support the aims and objectives of the Group, is being explored.
CWP NZ The Group is co-chaired by a member from each of the two main parties, elected by the membership at the first meeting in the parliament. This ensures that the Group has a parliamentary flavour. The New Zealand group is co-chaired by members of the two main parties in the 51st Parliament this is Jo Hayes MP (National) and Louisa Wall MP (Labour). Poto Williams MP (Labour) also represents New Zealand on the CWP Pacific Region Steering Committee, which fosters closer relationships between women parliamentarians in New Zealand, the Pacific Region and the Commonwealth.
CWP NZ The CWP New Zealand Group aims to: foster closer relationships between women parliamentarians in New Zealand, in all branches of the Pacific Region, and the Commonwealth; provide an opportunity for members to discuss and act on gender-related and other issues in New Zealand in all branches of the Pacific Region, and the Commonwealth; provide opportunities for strategic discussion and development for women parliamentarians.
CWP NZ s Priority Increasing women s political participation Number and share (%) of women in the New Zealand Parliament 1981-2014
Background: Women s Representation in NZ Change since MMP Parliamentary reforms, gender-sensitive cultures, practices and procedures Career, retention, longevity, leadership Special temporary measures/quotas? Role of parties and party selection processes
CWP NZ activities Supporting women s empowerment in the Pacific. Ensuring safety from violence and supporting survivors, including submission to Family Violence Review. Protecting girls from underage and forced marriage, including member s bill, (possibly multimember or government bill) and Girls Not Brides petition.
CWP NZ activities Building relationships with NGOs and women s groups to enhance legislative outcomes. Promoting human rights, the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), including proposing the establishment of a Regional Human Rights Forum for the Pacific Region to the Pacific Islands Forum.
PWPP Forum Women MPs (and men for the first time in 2015) from the Pacific, New Zealand and Australian Regions come together for the Pacific Women s Parliamentary Partnerships (PWPP) Forum: PWPP 1 st Forum, Sydney Australia, 2013 PWPP 2 nd Forum, Nuku alofa, Tonga, 2014 PWPP 3 rd Forum, Suva, Fiji, 2015.
Women s political participation in Pacific Region (PIF members) Pacific Islands Forum Member Women in parliament Percentage Australia (Commonwealth HoR) 40/150 26.7% Australia (Commonwealth Senate) 29/76 38.2% Cook Islands 4/24 16.6% Federated States of Micronesia 0/14 0% Fiji 8/50 16.0% Kiribati 4/46 8.7% Nauru 1/19 5.2% New Zealand 39/121 32.2% Niue 2/20 10% Palau (Congress & Senate) 3/29 3.4% Papua New Guinea 3/111 2.7% Republic of Marshall Islands 1/32 3.0% Samoa 3/49 6.1% Solomon Islands 1/50 2.0% Tonga 0/26 0% Tuvalu 1/15 6.6% Vanuatu 0/15 0%
PWPP Forum The forum is part of the wider Pacific Women s Parliamentary Partnerships initiative, funded by the Australian Government. The initiative supports the professional and skills development of Pacific women parliamentarians and parliamentary staff; develop engagement between women in the Pacific region and their parliaments; and support research into gender equality and creating gender sensitive parliaments. The forum aims to build capacity of women MPs in the Pacific and develop understanding of the factors that contribute to Pacific women s success in achieving political office and the support they require once they are elected. Increasing women s political participation in the Pacific must be addressed. It will require a critical mass to effect change in the parliaments and in communities and to make sure that women are able to effectively influence policy and legislative outcomes. The CWP Pacific Region also meet at each Forum.
Promoting gender equality is a human rights issue and it is also a means to other critical ends. It is about improving both the lives and status of women and as new research indicates, meaningful economic and social change can only occur when women and girls have the opportunity to participate equally in their societies. It is critical that women in the Pacific region are provided equal opportunities to actively participate in their communities and societies. This includes at critical leadership and decision-making levels, such as Parliament. Pacific nations currently have the lowest rates of women s representation of any region in the world. This must change. Excerpt from the PWPP 2013 submission, co-signed by: Ms Louisa Wall MP (New Zealand) Hon Fiame Naomi Mataafa (Samoa)