Relevance
The representation of women in government can be seen as an indicator of political representation more generally. Representative political institutions engage a wide range of communities in the political process, draw on the talents and skills of the broadest group of people, and provide checks and balances on the use of political power.
Current Level And Trends
1. General elections
As a result of the 2002 general election, women hold 34 of the 120 seats in Parliament, or 28 percent. Under the first-past-the-post electoral system, women's representation in parliament increased from 13 percent in 1984 to 21 percent in 1993. In the first mixed-member-proportional election held in 1996, this rose sharply to 29 percent. There was a further small rise to 31 percent in 1999, followed by a decline to 28 percent in 2002.
In 1996, women made up a far higher proportion of list MPs than electorate MPs (46 percent, compared to just 15 percent of electorate MPs). However, by 2002, the female proportions were similar in both categories.
The majority of women elected to parliament in 2002 were electorate MPs (56 percent). The proportion of women MPs who were electorate MPs has increased from 29 percent in 1996 and 43 percent in 1999.
Figure CP2.1 Women as a proportion of
elected members of parliament, 1984-2002
Source: Electoral Commission
(2002), p176
International Comparison
In 2003, the percentage of women in New Zealand's parliament was 28 percent, compared to an OECD median of 20 percent.65 New Zealand was ranked 11th best out of 30 OECD nations, with Sweden ranking first place with 45 percent. Other countries with higher representation of women include Denmark and Finland (38 percent), the Netherlands (37 percent), and Norway (36 percent). Australia (25 percent), Canada (21 percent), the United Kingdom (18 percent) and the United States (14 percent) all have lower percentages of women represented in parliament than New Zealand.
Current Level And Trends
2. Local government elections
In the 2001 local government elections, 615 women were elected to local authorities and they made up 31 percent of elected members. The representation of women among those elected increased from 25 percent in 1989 to 32 percent in 1998, then fell slightly to 31 percent in 2001. In the 1980s, women were more highly represented in local government than in national government but the difference has narrowed over time.
Women candidates were more likely than male candidates to be elected in each election year from 1989 to 1998, but this was reversed in 2001, when 40 percent of women candidates were elected, compared to 43 percent of men.
In 2001, women's representation was highest on district health boards (44 percent), followed by city councils (39 percent) and community boards (31 percent). City councils were the only local authorities to see an increased share of women elected in 2001.
The number of women elected to city council mayoral positions has remained steady at four (out of 15) for most election years since 1989. In contrast, the number of women mayors in district councils increased rapidly from six (out of 59) in 1989 to 15 in 1998, then fell sharply to eight in 2001.
Table CP2.1 Proportion (%) of members who were women, by type of local body, 1989-2001
| 1989 | 1992 | 1995 | 1998 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional councils | 22 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 26 |
| District health boards | no data | no data | no data | no data | 44 |
| City councils | 35 | 35 | 33 | 36 | 39 |
| District councils | 19 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 25 |
| Community boards | 29 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 31 |
Source: Department of Internal Affairs (2003), Table 5.4
Table CP2.2 Women mayors, 1989-2001
| 1989 | 1992 | 1995 | 1998 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City councils | 4/14 | 4/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 4/15 |
| District councils | 6/59 | 9/59 | 12/59 | 15/59 | 8/58 |
Source: Department of Internal
Affairs (2003), Table 5.5
Note: There was no election in Rodney District in 2001
