Māori Women See Slight Improvement in Pay Gap Figures Despite Advocacy Concerns

Newly released data from Statistics New Zealand (Stats NZ) has highlighted shifts in the national pay landscape, showing that while wāhine Māori continue to face challenges, there has been a marginal improvement in mean pay gap figures. According to a report by Te Ao Māori News on Monday, August 31, 2026, the pay gap for Māori women compared to men of European New Zealand ethnicity sat at 20 percent, down from 20.5 percent in 2025 based on mean measurements. Minister for Women Nicola Grigg welcomed the broader national figures, noting the gender pay gap remained at a near-record low of 5.3 percent in the June quarter. Minister Grigg attributed the result to the efforts of both the government and employers to identify and close these gaps, though she acknowledged that the disparities for Māori and Pasifika women specifically remain far too wide. However, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) and Māori advocates have voiced concerns about the methodology used to track progress. NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges argued that using the mean measurement provides a more accurate reflection of diversity in the workforce. Their calculations suggest that wāhine Māori effectively begin working for free on 20 October due to the existing disparity compared to Pākehā men. July Fidow, a Rotorua schoolteacher and member of the Post Primary Teachers’ Association, described the report as disappointing for those in frontline roles like Māori teachers and cleaners. She called for a reconsideration of pay equity legislation to ensure the mana taurite (equal status) and wellbeing of whānau across Aotearoa. As the country looks toward elections in November, the focus remains on whether future policy will further accelerate the closing of these ethnic and gender-based divides.