A Better World Volume 1

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Institute of Technology) was introduced in 2014. The

initiative covers tuition fees for women studying towards a

Level 1-4 Trades programme at CPIT. Female enrolments

in trades training at CPIT increased from 50 in 2011 to

414 in 2014.

The number of women working in construction in

Canterbury is increasing. Women made up 17.3 per cent of

construction workers in Canterbury in March 2016 (up from

14.5 per cent two years before), and nationally there were

2,400 more women employed in construction in March 2016

than at the same time the previous year.

Women made up

13.5 per cent of construction workers nationally in March

2016, up from 11.7 per cent two years before.

The experiences gained through these actions in Canterbury

are being used to inform national efforts to promote the

recruitment and retention of women in occupations where

they are underrepresented.

Building on the work in Canterbury, the Ministry for

Women has embarked on a project to raise awareness

among small to medium-sized enterprises of the benefits

of flexible and diverse work environments. With a focus on

skill gaps in the STEM and trades industries, the Ministry

for Women facilitated three regional workshops in 2016 on

the theme ‘Getting and Keeping Good Workers’. A toolkit

has been developed that provides practical resources for

business owners, including information on the support

available from government agencies.

New Zealand is proud to continue its leadership role

on gender equality in the international community. It

is committed to the Beijing Declaration and Platform

for Action, the Vienna Declaration and Programme for

Action, the International Conference on Population and

Development, United Nations Security Council Resolution

1325 and subsequent resolutions relating to the women,

peace and security agenda. New Zealand’s term on the

United Nations Security Council offers an opportunity to

contribute to the Council’s efforts to address the gendered

impacts of conflict and the role of women in conflict

prevention, protection and sustainable peace.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will

rely on action at the global level. New Zealand will contrib-

ute through a combination of domestic action, international

leadership on global policy issues, and supporting countries

through the New Zealand Aid Programme. This will require

a cross-government effort. New Zealand government agen-

cies are reviewing the goals and their alignment with existing

government priorities. This analysis will inform a discussion

on how New Zealand focuses its efforts.

The private sector and civil society can also help reach the

goals. Already a number of non-governmental organizations

and businesses are considering how their work helps, and are

engaging productively with government agencies.

The New Zealand Aid Programme is well-positioned to

support New Zealand’s partner countries’ achievement of

the SDGs, its main focus being the Pacific region where

it seeks to develop shared prosperity and stability. New

Zealand integrates women’s empowerment and gender

equality across all investment priorities and a number of

investments specifically target gender outcomes. As well

as women’s parliamentary representation and building the

understanding that gender equality is essential to economic

growth and sustainable development, these priorities

include reducing violence against women, sexual and

reproductive health and working with partner agencies.

The experiences gained in Canterbury are being used to promote the recruitment

and retention of women in occupations where they are underrepresented

New Zealand is proud to continue its leadership role on gender equality in the

international community

Image: Ministry for Women and the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team

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