Leigh Hart says a lack of qualifications shouldn't be a barrier to finding love. Photo / HOS
Leigh Hart says a lack of qualifications shouldn't be a barrier to finding love. Photo / HOS
Women looking for love advised not to be so fussy.
As Kiwi women battle an "educational man drought", a dating agency boss says women unlucky in love shouldn't be so picky.
New figures show there are 91 men for every 100 women in the 25-49 age group in New Zealand.
Analysis of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development data by social and economic researcher Paul Callister shows New Zealand's shortage is the most acute in the world - we are equal with Mexico for the fewest number of men to women in that age range in OECD countries.
The UK has 98 men to every 100 women, Australia has a man for every woman, while Canada reported 101 men to every 100 women.
Experts believe the real difficulty facing women looking for love is a decreasing number of well-educated and available men, something they are dubbing the "educational man drought".
Work by Callister shows there are now 155 women aged 30-34 with a degree or higher education qualification for every 100 males in the same group.
And social commentators warn the discrepancy will lead to increasing social inequality.
Clarke Gayford and partner Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
Sasha Madarasz, owner of Auckland match-making agency Two's Company, said many of her clients were professional women seeking compatible men.
She warned Kiwi women were narrowing their pool of possible partners by insisting on matches with educational equals.
"We encourage some women not to be so judgmental because they are reducing their chances of finding a partner.
"There are certainly fewer highly qualified and available men out there now so it doesn't pay to be too picky. It is best to keep an open mind and just go out there and date and have fun rather than worry too much about if someone is your intellectual equal," she said.
Labour list MP Jacinda Ardern acknowledged there was a dearth of men in New Zealand but did not think women should lower their sights when looking for "Mr Right".
"It is wrong for women to settle for anyone just because there are fewer blokes around. That would rarely work," she said.
"Equally, it is probably not a good idea for women to make choices based simply on someone's paper qualifications."
The politician has a BA in Communications.
Many of the clients at match-making agency Two's Company are professional women seeking compatible men, says owner Sasha Madarasz. Photo / Babiche Martens
Her boyfriend, radio star Clarke Gayford, has a degree in Broadcasting Communications from the New Zealand Broadcasting School.
"I am happy and compatibility is very important to making a partnership work," she added.
