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Columba College year 9 pupil Nora Paicu has launched a petition on the New Zealand Parliament website, calling for gender pay equality. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Columba College year 9 pupil Nora Paicu has launched a petition on the New Zealand Parliament website, calling for gender pay equality. Photo: Peter McIntosh
''Are we there yet?'' is a question typically asked by children on long drives.

For Columba College pupil Nora Paicu, it is a question she has been asking herself a lot lately, in relation to women's rights and the gender pay gap in New Zealand.

By the time the 13-year-old is ready to join the workforce, she hoped there would be significant change in the pay gap; and in a bid to prick social consciences, she has launched a petition on the New Zealand Parliament website calling for women to have equal pay to men.

She said inspiration for the idea came last year during a social studies class on the subject: ''Are we there yet?''.

''This topic was talking about women in New Zealand, and how far we have come to gain women's rights.

''I learnt a lot about Kate Sheppard, about women gaining the right to vote in New Zealand on September 19, 1893 - the first country to let women vote in parliamentary elections.

''After learning a lot about women's history in New Zealand, I figured there is still a major problem that we have in New Zealand - the 9.2% pay gap in 2018 between women and men.

''I thought that this is not right and that something must be done to change this.''

She said she wanted to see men and women have ''equal rights, equal respect and equal pay''.

''I want to see real change for future generations. If no-one else is going to do it, then I should do it, because I believe in it.''

Her petition, Women Should Have Equal Pay to Men, will remain on the Parliament website until February 2, 2020.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

Comments

This girl is talking as if ‘all’ women are earning 12% less than men.
Men and women have exactly the same rights in this country,

Women don't make as much as men. Known fact.

You are correct, women don't make as much as men. I suspect you also know the truth as to why the average pay gap between all men and women differs. If not, it is easy to research.

This young lady has every opportunity to earn huge sums of money, more than the average man, if she is determined, works extremely hard and looks towards careers that pay much higher than most (and maybe not listen so much to social studies teachers). The jobs are there, it's just a question of how much she wants to walk down that path. Good luck to her.

Well done ODT where is the link? Well done to this young lady keep up the good work. I do know the NZDF does not have this problem at all and have not for a long time they pay ladies and gents the same.

 

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