Wellington City Council- Time to ditch the men?

Luana Scowcroft is a Wellington local, mum, feminist and is looking to stand for the Wellington City Council in the Eastern Ward. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

The 2019 local body elections elected 11 women to the Wellington City Council. The three men that topped up the numbers were the Mayor, a photographer and a petroleum lawyer.

This year as we head towards electing a new council, it's time to ask, why not an all women and minority genders council? The candidates putting themselves forward this year are stellar. From climate activists to working mums, experienced councillors and mana wahine Tory Whanau standing for Mayor- we are spoiled for choice this October.

For the first time in living memory, we can feasibly elect a Council entirely made up of women and genders other than cis-men. Using single transferable vote (STV) strategically, we could be looking at a New Zealand history-making council.

In 1920, Yoncalla, Oregon, voted in an all-women council, mayor and all. Since then, we've seen at least 12 councils across the world follow suit. Unsurprisingly, I couldn't find a solid number of how many all male councils have existed throughout history. I'd put money on it being more than 12.

We know these numbers aren't because women are terrible at making decisions or have no political ambition. We know that the way our power structures were formed and by whom (and for whom) unfairly favour men.

Wellington City Mayor Andy Foster during a meeting in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

What would a council without men mean? It would demonstrate that Wellingtonians are serious about gender equity. That we value women as leaders and decision makers. That women are the leaders we need to help our city thrive. As a city that prides ourselves on being inclusive and vibrant, this is about bringing those intrinsic Wellington values to life.

Our city was designed by men, for men. Walking through town after dark or catching the bus after 10pm always requires a second thought (and by second thought I mean a mental plan, an escape route, clutching of keys between our fingers as defence weapons, a phone ready to be dialled, choosing the most lit road for safety, calling a rideshare even if the distance is walkable as the alternative could be life threatening.) Having women driving all decisions that shape our glorious city, means addressing these things as part of the process, not an added extra. What's good for women is good for everyone. Mirya Holman, an expert on women's representation says increased women's representation is one of the key drivers of policy change on issues she describes as "urban women's issues". Housing, education, children, social welfare and domestic violence- these are issues all Wellingtonians are grappling with, but the burden of these problems fall disproportionately on women.

An example of this is the Pōneke promise, championed by Tamatha Paul has brought together Council and community to address safety issues in central Wellington. Not only is the initiative making the city safer for women in key hotspots of crime and helping businesses in the area to thrive, it's addressing the root issues of inequality, housing and access to support.

We are also hearing that women do a better job than men leading through crises. One study out of the UK found that outcomes related to Covid-19, including number of cases and deaths, were systematically better in countries led by women. From climate change to rethinking our aging infrastructure and transport solutions, we have our fair share of crises here in Whanganui-a-Tara.

This International Women's Day I challenge you to consider how you'll vote this October. Wherever you sit on the political spectrum, there are strong women candidates who want to represent you on the Wellington City Council. Think about how you use your STV ranking to prioritise women, especially Māori women, those with disabilities and women with less privilege than your standard political candidates.

I mean, with 11 out of 14 Councillors already, we're basically there anywhere, right?

Luana Scowcroft is a Wellington local, mum, feminist and is looking to stand for the Wellington City Council in the Eastern Ward. This is an opinion piece prepared for International Women's Day.