New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins appointed Maori Northland MP Willow-Jean Prime as a minister and the country has reached gender equity in its government cabinet for the first time in its history.
In 2020, under former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, the country elected its most diverse parliament ever, significantly increasing the number of women, Māori and LBGTQ+ members. Around 10 per cent of members of the parliament elected in 2020 identified themselves as LGBTQ+.
At election time, the 120-seat house included 25 Māori MPs – giving more than 20% representation in the house, alongside 9% Pasifika, and 9% MPs of other ethnicities, including MPs of Chinese, Eritrean, Indian, Iranian, Korean, Maldivian, Mexican and Sri Lankan descent.
In 2022, for the first time in New Zealand’s history, the number of female MPs reached the majority. New Zealand became one of the 6 countries with at least 50 per cent female representation in its parliament.
Now, it has reached gender parity at the decision-making table of cabinet, the body of senior ministers responsible for most important policy, legislative and spending decisions.
Prime minister Chris Hipkins announced on Monday afternoon that the latest cabinet reshuffle would see MP Willow-Jean Prime, minister for conservation, enter cabinet, meaning a 50/50 split of men and women.
“A good milestone”
“It means that we’re more closely representing the population,” Hipkins said. “I think it’s a good milestone to achieve. We achieved 50/50 representation in parliament in this parliamentary term, I think that’s a very welcome thing, and now we have that around the Cabinet table as well.”
Hipkins said that including ministers outside cabinet, there were now more women in New Zealand’s executive than there were men.
Prime, the MP for Northland, also holds portfolios as the minister for youth, and associate minister for health and for arts and culture. Hipkins said that while he was pleased to see gender parity, it had not been a decisive factor in her selection. “I’m confident that she will be a very active contributor around the cabinet table,” he said.