Wellington (Commonwealth Union)_The future is female is a phrase we’ve heard time and time again, but New Zealand is constantly proving it right, setting new standards of female empowerment and introducing more women into areas of political concentration.
This is proved through different milestones in history that New Zealand has achieved with regard to female representation. In the year 1893, they became the first self-governing country to include women in the voting structure. Current Prime Minister Jacinda Arden is the nation’s third female leader, and important roles such as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court are also occupied by women. It was reported recently that the swearing in of Soraya Peke-Mason led the Parliament to consist of 60 women and 59 men, making it a historical milestone for New Zealand.
Peke-Mason, from the liberal Labour Party, replaced Trevor Mallard who resigned to become an ambassador for Ireland. “While it is a special day for me, I think it is historic for New Zealand,” Peke-Mason told reporters.
This placed New Zealand in the list of half a dozen nations alongside Rwanda, Cuba and Mexico, with 50% female participation in the parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. On this memorable occasion, Deputy Leader of the Conservative National Party, Nicola Willis said: “I’m just really pleased that my daughters are growing up in a country where women being equally represented in public life is just normal.”
In the United States government, women are 24 percent of the Senate and slightly more than 28 percent of the voting members of the House of Representatives. Whilst globally, around 26% of the lawmakers are women, according to the Inter-parliamentary union.
Prime Minister Jacinda Arden expressed her concern over women in other nations who are not in a position where they have hope for fruitful, bright futures. “As we step forward, it feels as if we watch so many women experiencing a rapid slide backwards in progress,” she said.
