Dalziel Lianne: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Dalziel Lianne: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:633;Page:5256] 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Women's Affairs) 
: 
 I will begin with a quote: “Inequality justifies its existence because it is those who benefit from inequality who set the standards. The system says to women of course you are equal. You can do whatever you want. You can be a judge or a permanent head or a Cabinet Minister. What that actually means is that women are free to be exactly like men. Because women are not exactly like men because their circumstances always will be different from those of men it is unusual for women to succeed by the standard the system sets for them. So the system having set the standard can declare that women have failed to meet it and so justifies their continuing inequality. 
“It is exactly the same as a Pakeha system which says to Maori people of course you can be equal. You can be just like a Pakeha if you want to be. It sets Pakeha standards for Maori people and when they fail to meet them as inevitably they fail the system has justified their continuing inequality. 
“The standards the system sets are powerful. It is a sad irony that many women have been suspicious of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs because they thought that a ministry that wanted equality for women must necessarily want women and men to be the same. The Ministry does not want that at all. It wants a society in which women of all cultures can set their own standards and live by them as they choose. That is genuine equality of opportunity. If it is to happen the system must change and changing the system is a task of awesome difficulty. There is much active discrimination still to be removed. 
“It is offensive for instance that women cannot join the air force to train as pilots. That has two results. It keeps women off the very lucrative gravy train which pilots get on to in civilian life. It perpetuates the myth that the defence of our country is something which belongs exclusively to men. In a society which daily subjects women to violence and the threat of violence that is self-serving hypocrisy. If the Minister of Women’s Affairs wants to have a crack at that one we can make it a joint effort.” 
That quote was from a speech at the opening of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs delivered by the Rt Hon David Lange in May 20 years ago. He also said: “It is not beyond women to change the system. The system had already changed in one way simply because this Ministry is now in it. It would not be here if women had not fought for it. I saw it fought for at party conferences and I saw it fought for in Cabinet. If its existence is a reproach to me and others like me that is exactly what it should be.” In opening the ministry’s offices David Lange wished everyone well who worked there. He knew that many women were already looking to the ministry and he was expecting to hear from them. 
Twenty years later we are delivering on what David Lange promised women could do with the removal in my capacity as the Minister of the last remaining reservation to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. New Zealand has filed five reports since it ratified the convention in 1985. New Zealand’s first report was considered by the UN committee in February 1988. The fifth report covering the period from March 1998-2002 was considered by the committee after having been admirably presented to it by the Hon Ruth Dyson who was then the Minister of Women’s Affairs on 14 July 2003. 
 In that reporting period New Zealand had two reservations to the convention: one relating to paid maternity leave and the other to women serving in armed combat. New Zealand noted that the paid parental leave legislation had been enacted and that removing the relevant reservation was being considered. That reservation—as of course we now know—has been lifted. If this legislation is passed through the House—and I certainly hope it will be—then New Zealand will be able to remove the last remaining reservation to the convention which is something that I will be able to report to the committee later next year. 
I congratulate Lynne Pillay on bringing this important measure before the House. I am proud that 20 years down the track David Lange’s dreams are to be realised.