Wanted..high quality applications from men and women for the position of State Services Commissioner
With the resignation of Dr Mark Prebble, the position of guardian of equal employment opportunities in the public service is wide open. A primary function of the State Services Commissioner is to promote, develop and monitor equal employment opportunities policies and programmes for the public service.
Despite the high proportion of women (59%) employed in the state sector, there has never been a female State Services Commissioner.
“New Zealanders believe in merit-based appointments for top public service jobs. There needs to be an active search process that ensures both top men and top women are short listed for this important position. The Minister of Women’s Affairs should also be asked to monitor the recruitment and selection process”, says EEO Commissioner Dr Judy McGregor.
The New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation 2008 to be released by the Human Rights Commission on March 31, 2008, reveals that less than a quarter (23%) of public service chief executives are women as at December 2007. Only eight of 35 departments had female chief executives at that time.
Women in Public Service Departments (as at 12 December 2007)
|
Department
|
Gender Chief Executive
|
% women staff
|
|
Agriculture & Forestry
|
M
|
46%
|
|
Archives
|
F
|
62%
|
|
Building and Housing
|
F
|
57%
|
|
Conservation
|
M
|
37%
|
|
Corrections
|
M
|
39%
|
|
Crown Law Office
|
M
|
69%
|
|
Culture & Heritage
|
M
|
59%
|
|
Customs
|
M
|
39%
|
|
Defence
|
M
|
28%
|
|
Economic Development
|
M
|
54%
|
|
Education
|
F
|
81%
|
|
Education Review Office
|
M
|
73%
|
|
Environment
|
M (resigned end of 2007)
|
58%
|
|
Fisheries
|
M
|
35%
|
|
Foreign Affairs & Trade
|
M
|
54%
|
|
Govt Communications Security Bureau
|
M
|
30%
|
|
Health
|
M
|
63%
|
|
Inland Revenue Department
|
M
|
66%
|
|
Internal Affairs
|
F (acting Chief Executive)
|
54%
|
|
Justice
|
F
|
66%
|
|
Labour
|
M
|
58%
|
|
Land Information New Zealand
|
M
|
41%
|
|
Māori Development
|
M
|
59%
|
|
National Library
|
F
|
71%
|
|
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
|
M
|
not available
|
|
Pacific Island Affairs
|
M
|
43%
|
|
Prime Minister & Cabinet
|
M
|
56%
|
|
Research Science & Technology
|
F
|
55%
|
|
Serious Fraud Office
|
M
|
43%
|
|
Social Development
|
M
|
73%
|
|
State Services Commission
|
M
|
60%
|
|
Statistics New Zealand
|
M
|
53%
|
|
Transport
|
M
|
53%
|
|
Treasury
|
M
|
48%
|
|
Women's Affairs
|
F
|
86%
|
|
Total
|
23.00%
|
59.20%
|
The new data also shows that women continue to be under-represented at senior levels with women comprising 38% of senior managers in the public service. Women’s progress at the top is extremely slow. Since 2002 the percentage of women in senior management positions in the core public service has fluctuated between 35% in 2003 and 38% in 2007.
A total of 24 of the 35 public service departments employ more females than males. The high numbers of women employed in the state sector is explained by the relatively high number of female dominated occupations employed in the public service. These include social workers, case workers, clerical workers, nurses and teachers.
In the Census report the Minister of State Services is asked to set a benchmark for the State Services Commission to achieve gender parity in chief executive appointments in 5 years.
The incoming State Services Commissioner is also asked to make chief executives accountable through performance management processes for increased representation of women in senior management positions.
“These are recommendations that we feel could help make a difference to improving gender parity in the public service,” Dr McGregor said.