Women now hold 53.9% of public sector board roles, marking the fourth consecutive year of over 50% representation, according to Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston.

“This is a fantastic achievement, but the work is not done," Upston said.

"To maintain similar levels of women representation at public board and committee levels, deliberate action is needed across government, business, and organisations for years to come."

Since 2012, when women’s representation was 41.1%, there has been a steady increase.

The Ministry for Women’s nominations service continues to play a crucial role in these appointments.

Women are also better represented at the board chair level, reaching 46.2%, a significant rise from 41.9% in 2022.

Upston noted, "It shows us there are many talented leaders ready to step into a governance role and take up the challenge of a chairing position and I welcome this wholeheartedly."

Māori and ethnic diversity on public sector boards has also grown since ethnicity data collection began in 2019.

Māori board members now hold 27.5% of board roles, up from 26.8% in 2022, while Pacific board members have increased from 6.1% to 7%.

Upston expressed enthusiasm about this progress: "I am thrilled to see many women from ethnic backgrounds take it in their stride, and step into governance roles."

Highlighting the benefits of greater representation, Upston said, “We know the positive impact that greater representation of women has on social outcomes, decision making, and financial performance. Our focus is now on ensuring this pipeline is strengthened and that we see more diverse representation in private sector leadership and governance.”