Extended paid parental leave and a long-term goal to eradicate family violence are two of the Labour Party's plans to improve the situation for women in New Zealand.
The party released its Women's Policy on Suffrage Day, Monday, to emphasise there is still much to be done to ensure women have the opportunity to thrive and succeed, the party's women's affairs spokeswoman Carol Beaumont says.
New Zealand women, on average, earn less than men and are less likely to hold leadership roles, she says.
The party will:
* Extend the coverage and length of paid parental leave
* Establish a Commission on Sexual and Family Violence to advise the government and help build a plan to eradicate violence against women
* Provide free dental care for pregnant women, because of strong links between poor oral health and premature birth, and children being likely to take after their parents in this area
* Develop nationwide services for women with eating disorders and programs to address binge drinking in young women
* Require children to be enrolled before birth with a Well Child provider, such as Plunket, with a mother's permission, to ensure there are no gaps after a midwife's care, minimising the risk of family violence, child abuse and neglect
* Reinstate a goal to have 50 percent of women on state sector boards
* Promote flexible working arrangements for women help them balance conflict between family and work responsibilities
* Make pay-rate information available to expose inequalities between men and women in the workforce
* Scrap the 90 day fire-at-will legislation, which Labour says disproportionately disadvantages women, who are more likely to move in and out of the workforce because of family responsibilities
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