Case studies in women's training policy in New Zealand 1975-1991

Abstract

This thesis examines women's training policy in New Zealand from 1975-1991. Over the last fifteen years women have begun to move into the policy-making mainstream of the New Zealand bureaucracy. Some of these women bring a feminist perspective to their job and are committed to effecting change from within the bureaucracy. At the same time the state has begun to withdraw from its social justice responsibilities and the Fourth Labour Government embarked on a reform of the bureaucracy which challenged the ability of gender equity policies to be developed and implemented. In the context of this shift to a market-liberal view of the state and its responsibilities, New Zealand training policy and its effect on women is examined through several case studies. They are: the Women's Advisory Committee of the Vocational Training Council, the Positive Action Programme run by the Department of Labour, the ACCESS training programme, bureaucratic reform and women's training policy, the Education and Training Support Agency and its relationship with the Ministry of Education, the Canterbury Women's Employment Trust and the Auckland Women's Training Programme. Research is based on government documents and related information as well as interviews with key people involved in the policy development and delivery process, particularly women who have been worked in the women's training area for a number of years. From these case studies, some suggestions are made in relation to the critical framework developed through the case studies, for the future of women's training policy in New Zealand.