As a part of one of the Government’s key priorities, Hon Jenny Salesa, Minister for Ethnic Communities, announced that the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee has agreed that ethnicity data be collected for candidates appointed to State sector boards and committees.
This is exciting news for the Office of Ethnic Communities, as we can now undertake some very important mahi [work] that seeks to ensure there are equal opportunities for all individuals to succeed and contribute fully and actively to State sector boards and committees across Aotearoa [New Zealand].
Our mahi [work] will seek to reduce barriers we have identified, and therefore enable an increase in ethnic representation on State sector boards. This Government is committed to ensuring membership of boards and committees reflect our diverse population.
As part of this mahi [work], the Office of Ethnic Communities is conducting a voluntary survey of current ethnic representation on State sector boards and committees from 3 to 31 October 2018.
If you are a current Appointments and Honours Committee-appointed board member, and identify as belonging to our ethnic communities in Aotearoa [New Zealand] then we encourage you to participate. It is a starting point in collecting good sound data. The data we collect will inform a baseline which allows us to support the Government’s commitment to creating a State sector that embraces diversity and inclusion.
We aspire to make New Zealand a nation where diversity is truly valued. Read Hon Jenny Salesa’s press release.