Gloomy Picture Of Efforts To Broaden Work... (Press, 25 July 1985)

A recent review of New Zealand's progress regarding women's employment opportunities during the United Nations’ Decade for Women reveals a largely disheartening situation. Although some initiatives showed promise, the majority of programmes aimed at expanding women's work roles were found to be ineffective. The Taranaki Pilot Positive Action Programme, initiated in 1983, successfully placed 100 young women in non-traditional training and employment; however, other efforts were notably less fruitful, with some trainees failing to secure employment in their trained areas. The report highlighted a concerning trend regarding non-traditional apprenticeships for women, revealing that aside from hairdressing, the majority of female apprentices were concentrated in horticulture and printing. Alarmingly, participation rates among women in various trades decreased from 1980 to 1983. For instance, in radio, female apprentices dropped from 16 in 1980 to just 6 in 1983. Similar declines were observed in clothing machining, fitting and turning, and industrial instrumentation, prompting fears that female involvement in certain trades could potentially vanish altogether. In a somewhat brighter development, apprenticeship figures for women in 1985 showed a significant increase, reaching 285 in non-traditional areas—a 45 per cent rise compared to 35 per cent overall growth in female apprenticeships. Nonetheless, the review pointed out that industries employing a high proportion of women still lack training facilities aimed at developing managerial or supervisory skills for female workers. The Technical Institute's "New Opportunities" courses were identified as the sole specific re-training options for women re-entering the workforce. The review also critiqued the United Nations for posing questions deemed inappropriate or overly simplistic concerning New Zealand’s situation. While it noted the establishment of policies and programmes to assist migrant women with employment, housing, and vocational training, it cautioned that there was scant information about their specific needs. Furthermore, it expressed hope for stronger community whanau (extended family) groups. Respondents who read the report were particularly interested in the negative responses that dismissed certain questions as irrelevant to New Zealand, as well as issues that went unaddressed. The report identified "major obstacles" to achieving the goals of the U.N. Decade for Women, with many women involved in advocacy explicitly naming these challenges. Notably, the review made no mention of the significant voluntary work undertaken by women, despite this information being readily provided. Contrary to some perceptions, there was no discussion of issues related to lesbian partnerships or immigration in the report. However, the United Nations’ monitoring committee, upon reviewing this appraisal, may find little criticism regarding New Zealand's efforts to advance gender equality, even amid the challenges highlighted.

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