Women protest over working for nothing

As of today, women in New Zealand are working for free, the pay equity challenge coalition says.

The coalition have calculated that the average wage gap between men and women – 12 per cent – means that women are effectively working for free for the rest of the year. But at Massey University a group of women are sick of playing second fiddle, and want working women from Palmerston North to join them in protest.

Today is official Working for Free Day, with women who belong to the pay equity coalition nationwide speaking out against the gender pay gap. In Wellington, coalition members will dress as pay equity debt collectors and give invoices to MPs and business people.

And in Palmerston North, Massey University Women's group Women@Massey is inviting all women to post fliers in their workplace advertising that they are working for free.

Women@Massey organiser and human development lecturer Dr Cat Pause said it was shocking that after years of protest, New Zealand still had a gender wage gap of 12 per cent. "This is a cultural thing, it's about wanting more for women."

It was an issue for everyone to be concerned about – women, men, and their families, Dr Pause said.

The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2008 shows New Zealand's gender pay gap was the fifth lowest in the world, out of 106 countries.