Election 2022: Bay of Plenty 'well below' national average for female representation

Woman are the minority running in this region's local elections this year. Photo / NZME

A minority of candidates standing in the Bay of Plenty regional, Rotorua, and Western Bay of Plenty council elections are women, prompting "significant concern" among some of those running.

In 2019, women made up 42 per cent of elected members in local government. Yet, the number of women standing in the Tauranga constituency for the regional council in this year's elections makes up just 11.7 per cent.

Seasoned regional councillor Paula Thompson and newcomer Kat MacMillan are the only women running, out of 17 candidates. There are just five seats for that constituency.

The trend is reflected, though not as starkly, in Rotorua and the Western Bay of Plenty.

In Rotorua, three of the seven candidates standing for the district's mayoralty are women, and in the general constituency, women make up eight of its 19 candidates.

Of the eight candidates running for the Western Bay mayoralty, Suaree Borell is the only woman. She is also one of 10 women out of 35 Western Bay candidates. There were also 18 women out of 40 candidates running for the district's community boards.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council candidates Paula Thompson and Kat McMillan are the only two women out of 17 candidates running for a Tauranga seat. Photos / NZME, Mead Norton

The Western Bay's Te Puke Community Board was the only constituency of all councils in which there were more women than then men running for a seat. Tauranga City was not having elections this year.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick, who is not seeking re-election, said taking part in local government could be a juggling act for many women between parenting, work and personal life.

"And there are other considerations - they see the impact of social media, the swipes, the hatred and misinformation. Being brave doesn't always cut it. Unfortunately, it can activate the bullies."

Chadwick said women viewed things "in [their] own way, through a different lens that adds diversity to a governance team".

Thompson said the lack of women running in the elections was of "significant concern".

"Councils should reflect their communities, and we are talking, of course, of the need for diversity. We haven't quite got the recipe quite right in terms of attracting women to stand for local government - obviously for regional council in particular."

MacMillan said the only way to create more diversity in local government was by standing, but there was a perception local government was a tough place, particularly for a woman.

"When you look at it, it doesn't look that diverse. Our community doesn't look equally representative in the candidates," she said.

Minister for Women Jan Tinetti. Photo / NZME

"I think there are plenty of female politicians and some diversity in central government, but when I look at local government trends, it looks like we are not there yet."

MacMillan said the best person for the job should ultimately get it, regardless of gender.

"Politics is politics. It isn't an easy job, that's what I'm learning. But at the same time, we need to put best practice in place and make it hard because it's a hard job, not because it's hostile."

In May, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta confirmed concerns for women considering local politics when she made it possible for candidates to use other contact means instead of a physical address on campaign material.

"I have heard growing concerns that candidates who publicise their home addresses may face undue risk to their physical safety, particularly for women and visible minorities, and that this is likely to discourage democratic participation," said Mahuta.

Minister for Women Jan Tinetti said communities "could benefit from investigating what barriers women in the region face to being elected on councils and developing means to address them".

Asked how communities could balance a push for greater female representation while ensuring each candidate was fairly selected regardless of gender, Tinetti responded: "You can't be what you can't see".

"If we ensure our leadership better reflects the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, a greater range of New Zealanders will believe they can be part of that leadership," she said.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick says sometimes being brave as a woman in local politics doesn't always cut it. Photo / Andrew Warner

"As a society, we must promote confidence in employing capable and empowered women and setting the tone for an inclusive and safe workplace."

Earlier this year, Local Government New Zealand, in collaboration with Taituarā (Local Government Professionals Aotearoa) and the Department of Internal Affairs, established a Vote 2022 campaign to encourage people from different sectors of society to consider running in the election.

LGNZ president Stuart Crosby, who is seeking re-election on the regional council, said the campaign was now focused on getting people involved in researching candidates and voting.

"There's a thing in governance called 'group think'. If you have people from the same background, they all tend to think the same way. You need a range of views to test and challenge a particular policy. It's important," Crosby said.