Women Maintain Strong Presence on New Zealand Public Boards

The 2025 report shows women occupy 50.2 per cent of public sector board and committee roles, extending a trend that has now remained above the Government's 50 per cent target for six consecutive years.

Women continue to play a leading role in New Zealand's public sector governance, holding just over half of all board and committee positions according to the latest annual diversity stocktake released by Minister for Women Nicola Grigg.

The 2025 report shows women occupy 50.2 per cent of public sector board and committee roles, extending a trend that has now remained above the Government's 50 per cent target for six consecutive years. The findings highlight the sustained progress made in improving gender balance across public sector leadership and decision-making bodies.

Female Representation Remains Above Target

The annual stocktake points to continued stability in women's participation at governance level, with representation remaining above the benchmark set by the Government. Minister Grigg said balanced leadership teams contribute to stronger decision-making and better outcomes for organisations and communities. She noted that women's perspectives remain essential to supporting New Zealand's productivity, economic growth and long-term resilience.

The report also found that women now hold 43.8 per cent of board chair positions. This marks a significant increase from 31.7 per cent in 2015, the first year chairperson data was formally collected. The rise in women serving as board chairs reflects growing opportunities for female leaders to take on influential governance roles and guide strategic decision-making across the public sector.

Expanding the Pipeline of Future Board Leaders

While progress has been maintained, the Government is placing renewed focus on developing a strong pipeline of women prepared to step into governance positions. A key part of that effort is BoardConnector, a governance database designed to connect qualified women with board opportunities. The recently refreshed platform now includes more than 1,100 women interested in governance appointments.

According to the Minister, around half of those registered are already considered experienced candidates, demonstrating the depth of talent available for board roles. Grigg said the figures show there is no shortage of skilled and capable women ready to contribute at governance level. Encouraging more women to join the database will broaden the pool of expertise available to appointing agencies and increase access to diverse leadership perspectives.

Partnerships Supporting Women in Governance

The Government is also working alongside organisations across both the public and private sectors to help create more pathways into governance. These efforts include partnerships with the Institute of Directors, leadership development providers and other organisations committed to supporting women seeking board appointments. The goal is to ensure appointing agencies have access to a wide range of strong candidates while helping more women gain the experience and visibility needed to secure governance roles.

The latest stocktake suggests New Zealand has maintained important gains in gender representation across public sector boards. With continued investment in leadership development and governance opportunities, efforts are now focused on ensuring more women can advance into senior board positions and leadership roles in the years ahead.