Third of women still believe they don't have equal rights

More than 110 years after winning the right to vote, one in three women still believe they don't have equal rights, according to a poll released ahead of today's Women Suffrage Day.

Research New Zealand – an independent New Zealand-owned research organisation – interviewed 529 people aged 15 and over.

It found that 34 per cent of women still did not believe they had equal rights with men while only 16 per cent of men believed that women did not have equal rights.

However, the poll found that overall, 72 per cent of those interviewed believed that men and women shared equal rights.

Research New Zealand director Emanuel Kalafatelis said the poll found there was a significant difference in perception between men and women on the issue.

"Equal rights between the sexes in this day and age is often something that's largely taken for granted so it's interesting that when asked, many women feel that there is still work to be done towards reaching equality," he said.

The poll also found that young people (under 30 years of age) were significantly more likely to agree that New Zealand women had equal rights with men.

It found that 87 per cent of those aged 15 to 29 agreed that women had equal rights, compared to 69 per cent of those aged 30-39.

- NZPA