Five Dunedin women (from left) Deborah Manning, Miriama Ketu-McKenzie, Laura Black, Ashleigh Smith and Helen Roberts gave speeches at the KATE Talks event at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum last night celebrating 125 years since women in New Zealand first cast their votes. Photo: Gregor Richardson

Dunedin women should elect more female councillors if they want to be properly represented, Dunedin City Council chief executive Sue Bidrose said.

She made the comments at an event last night celebrating 125 years since women in New Zealand first voted.

Women had won the right to vote just two months earlier.

Keynote speaker Dr Bidrose implored the crowd of about 150 mainly women at Toitu to keep striving for equality.

While there were more women than ever in business and politics, there was still a systemic bias that held  society back from achieving true equality, Dr Bidrose said.

"Suffrage still matters 125 years later because we know our suffrage sisters’ work is still to be done."

Despite being able to vote for 125 years, women were still under-represented in politics, both locally and nationally, but next year’s local body elections provided a chance to increase the diversity of voices around council tables, Dr Bidrose said.

"If you want this city to run on in a way that suits you — the female half who lives here — then you need to elect people who understand your concerns ... I can’t encourage you enough that this does matter."

There were those who argued women’s equality had gone too far and it was now middle-aged men who were  the most discriminated-against group. Those people were scared of losing their privilege, she said.

Earlier in the evening, five Dunedin women Dr Helen Roberts, Miriama Ketu-McKenzie, Ashleigh Smith, Deborah Manning and Laura Black gave short talks on topics such as women’s health, the gender pay gap, the unequal division of housework and how to find meaning from life.