Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Integrating Papa Pounamu and Kia Toipoto

Together Papa Pounamu and Kia Toipoto set out a comprehensive DEI programme that supports your agency to:

• increase diversity at all levels, to reflect and deliver for the communities we serve
• make substantial progress toward closing gender, Māori, Pacific, and ethnic pay gaps
• accelerate progress for wāhine Māori, Pacific women, and women from ethnic communities
• create fairer workplaces, including for disabled people and members of Rainbow communities
• strengthen inclusion so that everyone feels respected, valued and able to achieve their potential.

There is more detail on how Papa Pounamu and Kia Toipoto relate to DEI, and to agencies’ statutory obligations in Appendix 1.

Many groups experience discrimination, inequities, bias, pay gaps and exclusion. Pacific women have the lowest average pay in the Public Service. Disabled public servants and members of Rainbow communities report lower inclusion than non-disabled and non-Rainbow.

Public Service Workforce Data does show system progress for women and Māori in representation in leadership and narrowing pay gaps. This shows it is possible to make significant gains with targeted, comprehensive and coordinated actions. We now need to make similar gains for Pacific, ethnic, disabled and Rainbow communities while maintaining momentum for Māori, and for all wāhine.

Papa Pounamu and Kia Toipoto recognise that many people are members of more than one group. The multiple forms of bias and discrimination they experience compound to result in poorer employment and inclusion outcomes. These intersectional impacts are experienced across gender, ethnicity, disability, Rainbow communities and other identities.