Minister for Women
Coat of Arms of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand
Incumbent
Nicola Grigg
since 27 November 2023
Ministry for Women
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports toPrime Minister of New Zealand
AppointerGovernor-General of New Zealand
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderAnn Hercus
Formation26 July 1984
Salary$288,900[1]
Websitewww.beehive.govt.nz

The Minister for Women is the government minister in the New Zealand Government with responsibility for the rights and interests of the country's female citizens. It has been a post in all New Zealand governments since 1984.[2] The Minister leads the Ministry for Women.

The post was established by the Fourth Labour Government on 26 July 1984 preceding the creation of the ministry. It was split from the Social Welfare portfolio after a recommendation from Advisory Committee on Women's Affairs.[3] Holders of the post were known as the Minister for Women's Affairs until December 2014, with the department known as the Ministry of Women's Affairs.[4] There had been a previous ministerial post from 1949 to 1972 adjunct to the Social Security portfolio titled Minister for the Welfare of Women and Children with a similar brief.[5]

Ministers for Women

The following ministers have held the office:

Key

  Labour   National   Alliance   Green

No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime Minister
Minister for the Welfare of Women and Children (1949–72)[5]
1 Hilda Ross 13 December 1949 12 December 1957 Holland
Holyoake
2 Mabel Howard 12 December 1957 2 June 1959 Nash
- Philip Skoglund
Acting Minister 		2 June 1959 25 August 1959
(2) Mabel Howard 25 August 1959 12 December 1960
3 Norman Shelton 12 December 1960 24 January 1962 Holyoake
4 Don McKay[6] 24 January 1962 9 February 1972
Minister for Women (1984–present)
1 Ann Hercus[7] 26 July 1984 24 August 1987 Lange
2 Margaret Shields[8] 24 August 1987 2 November 1990
Palmer
Moore
3 Jenny Shipley[9] 2 November 1990 12 December 1996 Bolger
4 Christine Fletcher[10] 12 December 1996 11 September 1997
(3) Jenny Shipley 11 September 1997 26 August 1998
Shipley
5 Georgina te Heuheu 26 August 1998 10 December 1999
6 Laila Harré 10 December 1999 15 August 2002 Clark
7 Ruth Dyson 15 August 2002 19 October 2005
8 Lianne Dalziel 19 October 2005 5 November 2007
9 Stephanie Chadwick 5 November 2007 19 November 2008
10 Pansy Wong 19 November 2008 12 November 2010 Key
(5) Georgina te Heuheu
acting
 12 November 2010 8 December 2010
11 Hekia Parata 8 December 2010 13 December 2011
12 Jo Goodhew 13 December 2011 8 October 2014
13 Louise Upston[11] 8 October 2014 20 December 2016
14 Paula Bennett 20 December 2016 26 October 2017 English
15 Julie Anne Genter 26 October 2017 6 November 2020 Ardern
16 Jan Tinetti 6 November 2020 27 November 2023
Hipkins
17 Nicola Grigg 27 November 2023 present Luxon

Notes

  1. ^ https://www.parliament.nz/media/3151/parliamentary-salaries-and-allowances-determination-2016.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Minister of Women's Affairs — Ministry of Women's Affairs". mwa.govt.nz. 2011. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Senior Woman Takes on Heavy Load". The New Zealand Herald. 31 July 1984. p. 20.
  4. ^ "Ministry for Women". 1 December 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 133.
  6. ^ Parliamentary Debates: House of Representatives. New Zealand Parliament. p. 3532. Retrieved 9 October 2023. The Hon. Don McKay has served for 18 years as a member, and has been Minister of Health, Minister of Social Security, Minister in Charge of the Child Welfare Division, and Minister for the Welfare of Women and Children.
  7. ^ Wood 1996, p. 66.
  8. ^ Wood 1996, pp. 68, 73.
  9. ^ Wood 1996, pp. 77, 80.
  10. ^ Wood 1996, pp. 78, 81.
  11. ^ "Ministerial List". DPMC. 14 December 2015.

References

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