The revival and refashioning of gender pay equity in New Zealand

While the foundations for redressing gender pay inequality in New Zealand were established half a century ago, significant numbers of women still endure the sharp end of gender-based pay differentials. Following a landmark test case in the aged care sector which focused on the (re)interpretation of the Equal Pay Act 1972, gender pay equality is once again under intense scrutiny. On the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage, the New Zealand government signalled the introduction of legislative amendments to address this enduring challenge. Although widely contested, the intent of the Equal Pay Amendment Bill is to lower the threshold for raising pay equity claims, while establishing a bargaining process for resolving them. Alongside this, the government has introduced an ambitious workplace action plan to eliminate public service gender pay gaps. Informed by gender equity policy approaches, this article examines New Zealand's (gendered) regulatory history relating to equal pay, yielding insights into how labour law and policy have both addressed and evaded the objective of equal remuneration for work of equal value, concluding with a discussion of recent initiatives. This qualitative analysis illustrates how institutional contexts for wage-setting and value-laden equality strategies impact women's experience of work in New Zealand.