Gender pay gap in New Zealand universities

Posted 23 January 2020 by Emma Timewell

Researchers from the University of Canterbury have published in PLOS One the findings of research into the gender pay gap in New Zealand universities. They have found that, over the life of her career, a woman employed as academic staff can expect to earn around $400,000 less than her male colleagues.

These findings are very disappointing, as many New Zealand institutions have expressed a desire to decrease gender disparity for a number of years, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). We hope that this research will encourage Government, universities and other organisations to re-evaluate their policies and support for women in STEM to reduce the time it will take for New Zealand to have true gender equality in the science system.