Gender and ethnic equity in Aotearoa New Zealand's public service before and since Covid‐19: Toward intersectional inclusion?

Abstract

Since its bi-cultural foundation with Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 by Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), chiefs and representatives of the British Crown), cultural identities have expanded through immigration. While Aotearoa NZ's government seeks to encourage workplace diversity in public service agencies, developments are being disrupted by Covid-19. Using a typology of equality approaches, this study appraises the "ambition" of equity progress in Aotearoa NZ public service agencies based on content analysis of interviews with sector experts, agency staff and managers. In terms of equity discourses, workplace inequities emerge as more pronounced for Māori and Pasifika (the indigenous peoples of the Pacific), indicating that more "ambitious" equality initiatives, including those which aim for intersectional inclusion, are needed. The study thereby contributes a more nuanced understanding of equity approaches that could meaningfully inform workplace initiatives designed to recognize, value and empower gender diversity. Its relevance for Aotearoa NZ, which has one of the most diverse working-age populations in the world, is likely to resonate in other countries where workforce diversity is yet to translate into equitable engagement in and experiences of work organizations by all.

Unmasking the politics of policy‐driven change (or not) for gender diversity

“…This in turn has increased the demand for female directors on public sector boards. Thus, successive governments to varying degrees have used their power as the major shareholder to meet their targets and the interests of this sub‐group of privileged women (see Parker et al., 2022). The hope is that the private corporate sector will voluntarily follow their example.…”

“…Simultaneously, 50% of public service chief executive roles are held by women, while 53% of the top three tiers of senior leaders are also women (Diversity Works, 2021a; Ministry for Women, 2020). It is public sector statistics such as these that place Aotearoa NZ in an enviable position in relation to the top rankings among G20 countries (Parker et al., 2022).…”

“…Indeed, Hawarden and Greenwood's (2021, p. 14) description of Aotearoa NZ “as a country of two halves” is apt. They argue, “where there is the political will and clear goals, gender parity is all but achieved as in the public sector.” Or is this “political will” evidence of a parliamentary gender equity agenda where wrap‐around enlightened policies target a sub‐group of women with similar interests to those who develop and drive the gender equity agenda in the first place (see Parker et al., 2022)? Nonetheless, this public sector leadership trend, signaled by a succession of high‐profile female role models and evidenced by recent statistical data (Ministry for Women, 2020; World Economic Forum, 2021), has tended to divert the public eye from the dismal progress made in the private corporate sector.…”

Public Sector Entrepreneurship: Scientific Mapping and Research Agenda

“…While sustainability is an emerging topic (figure 6), only few studies have attempted to connect the activities of public entrepreneurs with sustainable development. Furthermore, studies on the impact of gender and diversity are also limited, despite the intense efforts to diversify the public services in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand (Brannan, 2021;Lomas, 2021;Parker et al, 2022). Therefore, this paper advocates a focus on these issues in the future, as well on the social impact of public sector entrepreneurial action.…”

Whose equity? What equity? The role of Pacific staff networks in progressing gender and intersectional equity at work

“…Workplace (in)equities are often conceived in terms of pay and leadership gaps (Parker et al, 2021). As well as ethnicity-based differences in the position, pay and experiences in NZ workplaces noted above, workplace inequities can also be discerned in relation to gender (e.g.…”