Wellington: For the first time in New Zealand’s history, women have overtaken men in parliament. Labour’s Soraya Peke Mason was sworn in as MP on Tuesday to replace Speaker Trevor Mallard, who left as Ireland’s ambassador, and another male MP. This is after he resigned. There are now 60 women and 59 men in the 120-member parliament.
New Zealand has become one of half a dozen countries where at least 50 percent of MPs are women, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organization of national parliaments, said. Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Rwanda, U.A.E. and other countries.
New Zealand has a history of strong female representation. The first country in the world to give women the right to vote. This was in 1893. Current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the third woman to hold that position. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Governor General of New Zealand are women.
However, opinion polls suggest that the conservative parties will win next year’s general elections. If they come to power with less female representation than in the Labor Party, the current ratio in Parliament will become a myth.