Rural Women New Zealand backs equal pay law

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Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) voiced its reserved support for legislation that ensures equal pay for work of equal value.

RWNZ presented its submission on the Equal Pay Amendment Bill 2018 to the Education and Workforce Select Committee at Parliament.

"RWNZ is optimistic that this piece of legislation will make strides in addressing the historic gender pay gap in New Zealand," says social portfolio convenor, Zelda DeVilliers.

"However, we urge the Government to consider the impact of equal pay legislation on rural women and girls to ensure that unpaid or underpaid women in the rural sector are financially valued as a result.

"Stories of urban women in traditionally underpaid female-dominated roles - factory or aged care workers, for example - will be at the core of this Bill.

"Yet it is often forgotten that in the rural sector, many farming women labour for little or no remuneration, despite contributing significantly to the economic wellbeing of their communities. The fact is that workplace inequality is symptomatic of the lack of empowerment of women in both rural and urban contexts.

"Equal pay for rural women is integral to developing New Zealand's rural economy."