About Us: Our History
Over the years since NACEW was established in 1967 there has been a major shift in the role of women in the work force.
At the beginning of this period the model of the male breadwinner was matched by legislative impediments to women entering the workforce. In the early years, the Council promoted the concepts of equal pay, non-traditional employment, equal status for part-time workers and worked to change negative perceptions about childcare for pre-schoolers. Submissions to the Minister of Labour, Commissions of Inquiry and Select Committees aimed to achieve a legislative framework that enabled women to contribute economically and socially. This was complemented by publications and publicity material, often in conjunction with the Department of Labour, which challenged stereotypes about the role of women, attitudes to women in the workforce and appropriate occupations for women.
In 1987, NACEW published Women's Employment Issues: An account of the Activities and Issues Addressed by the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women (NACEW). This was followed three years later by a major publication Beyond the Barriers: The State, the Economy and Women's Employment 1984 - 1990. This report, which was the culmination of three years work by the Research Advisory Group of NACEW was a policy oriented research project on women's employment which aimed to examine levels of women's participation in paid employment, the extent of women's concentration in particular occupations and industries, the impact of changes in micro and macro economic policy, industrial relations and state sector restructuring and women's employment. Employment equity, education and childcare policy and their implications for women's involvement in the labour market were also identified as areas of concern.
Since 1990, NACEW continued to make submissions to Ministers, the Government and public bodies on issues the Council saw as impacting on the employment of women. Notably, submissions were made to the Task Force on Employment Policy in 1994, and in conjunction with the Ministry of Women's Affairs NACEW hosted two consultation meetings for women with the Task Force. In 1999, NACEW made further submissions to the Minister of Employment and the Social Services Select Committee on employment policy and benefit changes. Other NACEW submissions have included ACC, the Holidays Act, careers information and guidance, the Review of the Equal Opportunities Trust, health and safety and human rights legislation, industry training, paid parental leave, Employment Relations Act, Maternity Protection Convention, Annual Reviews of the Minimum Wage and the content of the 2001 Census.
In the 1990s, NACEW undertook research in a number of areas. This included reports on employment opportunities for women with disabilities, self-employment, access to industry training, parental leave, and gender analysis of labour market adjustments under the Employment Contracts Act 1991.
In 1999, NACEW undertook a major survey on childcare that set out to examine the use or non use of childcare and the relationship between childcare and participation in employment. NACEW also hosted a one-day seminar in Wellington at which further analysis of the survey findings was presented. The seminar was also an opportunity for discussion about policy implications and areas for further research.
NACEW commissioned research on a strategy for supporting Pacific Nations Women into early childhood education courses. The research project was completed at the end of June 2001.
In mid 2002, NACEW commissioned a research project on the differential impact of student loans on men and women.
