Call for equal opportunities

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 5

Call for equal opportunities

The Secretary of Women’s Affairs, Ms Mary O’Regan, has called for greater progress towards equal opportunities of employment in New Zealand. During a Law Conference seminar yesterday on affirmative action for women, Ms O’Regan said that New Zealand employers still had to embrace. the spirit of affirmative action and allow equal employment opportunities. . “Voluntary progress has been unsteady and slow. To date there are no plans to legislate for affirmative action but there is an urgent need for more demonstrable progress towards equality to ensure a more equitable society and make the most economic use of our available human resources.” In 1984, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs had held consultations with large private sector employers on plans for voluntary affirmative action programmes in industry. A joint Women’s MinistryHuman Rights Commission questionnaire had been sent to the em-

ployers to check on their progress.

“The responses which have been received indicate that progress is varied. It ranges from one or two companies which have quite comprehensive plans in place to those who have yet to be convinced that they need to take any action at all,” she said.

“One rather terse reply informed us that the company’s major activity ‘has always been a male’s role which we would see continuing’ while another assured us that it had equal opportunity in the clerical area.”

Many of the replies suggested that the issue of equal opportunity was not a key issue for most employers.

“As such, the need for affirmative action has not been accorded high priority,” she said

“Affirmative action does not only apply to women or solely to the area of employment. It encompasses any measure to assist any group disadvantaged in our society and education, services and access to goods.”

A senior British judge and leading jurist, Lord Griffiths is among delegates at the 1987 Law Conference in Christchurch. A former Judge of the National Industrial Relations Court and member of the Lord Chancellor’s Law Reform Committee, he delivered

a keynote address on the adversary trial system during the conference. Lord Griffiths is Lord of Appeal In Ordinary in the House of Lords. The conference ended yesterday. Lord Griffiths, who is chapman of the Thalidomide Trust, was accompanied by Lady Griffiths.