Study: NZ best Commonwealth country for girls

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New Zealand is the best country in the Commonwealth to be born a girl, research released today has found.

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) study showed there was a greater level of gender equality in New Zealand than any other country in the Commonwealth - which has 54 member countries with a total population of nearly two billion.

The study used eight indicators including life expectancy at birth, pay equality, expected number of years in school, political participation and the number of teen pregnancies.

New Zealand received an "A" in five out of eight indicators and was the "star performer" in terms of pay equality, with women earning 72 per cent of what men earn.

Barbados came second in the overall rankings and Trinidad and Tobago came third. Australia and Canada were 6th equal, and Britain and Singapore 8th equal.

Compared to the worst-performing countries (Nigeria and Sierra Leone), New Zealand women were five times less likely to give birth between the ages of 15 and 19.

New Zealand girls also spent on average twice the amount of time at school than girls in Nigeria.

However, the study was not all good news for New Zealand. The director of the RCS, Danny Sriskandarajah, said even the top countries in the Commonwealth fell far short of true gender equality. "Our report cards make for worrying reading. "

New Zealand's Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, Judy McGregor, said the research results were "wonderful" news for the country but added there was still room for improvement. "We are leaders in gender equality but we can't sit on our laurels," Dr McGregor said.

There was still a lot to be done in areas such as women's income compared to men's and the number of women in Parliament.

The release of the study comes as Commonwealth Day is celebrated with the Queen announcing that the Commonwealth's theme for 2011 is "women as agents of change".

"This year, the Commonwealth celebrates the important role that women already play in every walk of life and in every Commonwealth country - from the richest to the poorest areas, across continents and oceans, from villages to places of international debate," the Queen said.

"And also this year, the Commonwealth reflects on what more could be achieved if women were able to play an even larger role."

BEST

1. New Zealand - star performer, 5 out of 8 'A' grades.
2. Barbados.
3. Trinidad and Tobago.
6. Australia, Canada.

WORST

* Nigeria, Sierra Leone.

- NZPA