KEY POINTS:
The number of women in local government has been declining and the Human Rights Commission is encouraging women to vote for women.
Equal employment commissioner Dr Judy McGregor said this week, on the 114th anniversary of Suffrage Day, the drop in female representation needed to be addressed.
The number of female representation in local body governance dropped from 28 per cent in 2001 to 27 per cent in 2004.
New Zealand had not yet reached the Commonwealth target of 30 per cent.
Local body elections also had a low voter turnout of 45 per cent nationally.
"Suffrage Day reminds us of the significance of women's right to vote at a time when women are not doing so well in local body governance," Dr McGregor said. "We want women to vote next month and to think about casting a vote for the many outstanding female candidates."
Dr McGregor said Kate Sheppard's reasons why New Zealand women should vote in 1888 included that women brought a different perspective, that they were as concerned as men with the nation's prosperity, and that they "suffer equally with men from all national errors and mistakes".
Women's Affairs Minister Lianne Dalziel urged women to keep voting as progress had been made since 1893, but attitudes still needed to change.
- NZPA
