The Wellington Branch of National Council of Women New Zealand, in collaboration with Graduate Women Wellington and Zonta Club of Wellington, are hosting The Annual Women’s Debate 2024. This debate intends to put women and gender at the centre of a conversation about the economy.

The economy is top of mind for Wellingtonians due to the current fiscal situation. Families are struggling with the rising cost of living, including household costs which have increased 6.2 per cent in the last year. At the same time, the number of job cuts in the public sector sits above 6000 and continues to rise. This is expected to disproportionately affect women, as women make up the majority of the public service workforce and the public service gender pay gap was 7.1% in 2023.

The current economic climate will widen existing gaps and increase the severity and urgency of problems that people are facing. We already know that women and other gender minorities face economic disadvantages in the labour market. Now, women and children will bear the brunt of a cost of living crisis, described by a phenomenon dubbed the ‘feminisation of poverty’. This reality is harshened when compared with the fact that banks made a record profit of $7.21 billion in 2023.

This is not a short-term problem and communities are feeling uncertainty around the future of work and income. The Retirement Commission has recently released data that shows the gender gap in pay will result in a gender gap in retirement. Many people are concerned about how advancements in technology may affect employment opportunities.

Let’s become collectively informed at the #NZWomensDebate24 and learn more how economic empowerment for women and gender minorities can contribute to a more #GenderEqualNZ.

We hope you'll join us in-person or online for this kōrero. If you register to join in-person, we'll still send through the Zoom link in case your situation changes.

5:30pm: Networking and refreshments provided

6:00pm: Panel begins, featuring the following incredible panellists:

Jane Wrightson, Retirement Commissioner at Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
Ebba Andersen, Coordinator at the Wellington Women's House
Dr Pushpa Wood, Director of the NZ Financial Education and Research at Massey University
Alex Davies, Assistant Secretary for the State Sector at the New Zealand Public Service Association
Helen Hatchard, Chief Executive Officer at Finzsoft Solutions Limited (MC)

7:30pm: Event finishes

Follow the Facebook event for updates.