Feminism row erupts over Paul Henry comments

Paul Henry's views on feminism are wrong, says the Human Rights Commission.

The Human Rights Commission says Paul Henry's attitude towards feminism is "wrong".

The controversial broadcaster questioned why Hillary Clinton was selling herself as a woman as she campaigns to become the first female US president.

Henry said: "Why, if feminism has come so far, does she feel the need to highlight the fact that she's a woman? Shouldn't she be selling herself on the fact that she's the best person, the right person, for the job, no matter what her sex?"

The comments were made in just the second week of his new TV3 and RadioLive Paul Henry show - with many eyes on the broadcaster known for making controversial comments.

Henry said other high profile females had "fallen into the same trap" - including Helen Clark's bid to become the Secretary General of the United Nations.

"Don't these women realise feminism has come further than they have?"

The Commission today published an open letter from Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Jackie Blue that took aim at Henry's comments.

"You are wrong. Feminism hasn't come further than Hillary Clinton and Helen Clark, feminism will only ever go as far as they and other women go," Blue wrote.

"On your show today you argued that feminism has come further than Clinton and Clark ... Clinton has voiced her ambition to become the first woman US President and you saw this as an outdated thing to say. It isn't.

"Feminism is a belief that gender should not limit anyone's chances at life and quite frankly people are deluded if they believe women currently get the same opportunities as men to make it in business, politics and the like."

Henry left TVNZ's Breakfast show in 2010 after making a series of offensive comments that caused an outcry. Since then he has had a stint on Australian breakfast TV, made a movie in the US, and hosted a late night news show on TV3.

Read Blue's full letter below:

Dear Paul,

You are wrong. Feminism hasn't come further than Hillary Clinton and Helen Clark, feminism will only ever go as far as they and other women go.

On your show today you argued that feminism has come further than Clinton and Clark, two women who are campaigning respectively for roles as the United States President and Secretary General of the United Nations. Clinton has voiced her ambition to become the first woman US President and you saw this as an outdated thing to say. It isn't.

Feminism is a belief that gender should not limit anyone's chances at life and quite frankly people are deluded if they believe women currently get the same opportunities as men to make it in business, politics and the like.

If we have come as far as you say we have why has female representation in our Parliament been stuck at around 30% since the first MMP election in 1996? Why did it even go backwards at the 2014 election? Why is the percentage of female directors on the NZX listed companies a paltry 14%? Why is it that there is a persistent mean pay gender gap in the labour market of around 14 %?

Only yesterday lawyer and international public servant Vicky Robertson was announced as the Ministry for the Environment's new chief executive, however the headline just described her as a "Former Hockey Player". I can't help but wonder if this headline would have been the same if she were a man.

There is a lot of work to be done.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Jackie Blue

EEO Commissioner

- nzherald.co.nz