Women's Representation on Public Sector Boards Hits 53.9% for Fourth Consecutive Year

“Our focus is now on strengthening this pipeline and ensuring we see more diverse representation in private sector leadership and governance,” Ms. Upston concluded.

Women's representation on public sector boards and committees has surpassed 50 per cent for the fourth consecutive year, with women now holding 53.9 per cent of public sector board roles, Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston announced.

“This is a fantastic achievement, but the work is not done. To maintain similar levels of women's representation at the public board and committee level, deliberate action is needed across government, business, and organizations for years to come,” said Ms. Upston.

The representation of women on public sector boards has steadily increased from 41.1 per cent in 2012. Ms. Upston emphasized the importance of continuing to appoint women to government boards and committees, particularly through the Ministry for Women’s nominations service.

“Women are also better represented at the board chair level, which is a sign of good progress. The percentage of women in chair positions has reached 46.2 per cent, a significant rise from 41.9 per cent in 2022.

“This demonstrates that there are many talented leaders ready to take on governance roles and chairing positions, and I welcome this wholeheartedly.

“Māori and ethnic diversity on public sector boards has also continued to increase since the collection of ethnicity data began in 2019. I am thrilled to see many women from diverse ethnic backgrounds stepping into governance roles.

“We know that greater representation of women has a positive impact on social outcomes, decision-making, and financial performance.

“Our focus is now on strengthening this pipeline and ensuring we see more diverse representation in private sector leadership and governance,” Ms. Upston concluded.