The People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity has confirmed that recent amendments to equal pay legislation have undermined human rights protections in Aotearoa, according to the New Zealand Human Rights Commission.
The 2025 amendments to the Equal Pay Act 1972 narrowed the scope of pay equity claims designed to address systemic gender-based pay inequities. As a result of the changes, 33 active claims involving thousands of workers were halted.
Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Gail Pacheco says the breadth of evidence gathered by the Committee reinforces concerns that the amendments have made it significantly harder to correct entrenched inequities in women-dominated industries.
Pay equity provisions are intended to ensure that work traditionally undertaken by women is not undervalued compared with work of equal value predominantly undertaken by men.
The Committee’s findings indicate that limiting access to pay equity mechanisms affects potentially hundreds of thousands of workers in sectors such as care and support, education, and administration.
The Human Rights Commission maintains that the right to equal pay for work of equal value is protected under domestic law and international human rights conventions to which New Zealand is a signatory.
According to the Commission, the amendments represent a regression in human rights standards rather than progress, raising concerns about consistency with global best practice.
Beyond the substance of the law changes, the process by which they were enacted has also drawn criticism.
The amendments were passed under urgency, restricting public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. The Commission argues that this approach limited democratic participation for those most directly affected by the changes.
The People’s Select Committee, formed by former MPs from across the political spectrum, conducted a nine-month inquiry and received extensive submissions from workers, unions, employers, advocacy organisations and experts.
The Human Rights Commission has acknowledged the Committee’s role in providing a forum for individuals and groups to present evidence and perspectives that were not heard during the legislative process.
New Zealand’s commitments under international human rights frameworks require not only the advancement of pay equity but also the protection of gains already achieved.
The Commission says any steps that restrict or reverse mechanisms for addressing gender-based pay inequities risk breaching those obligations.
The Committee’s report underscores that pay equity is not solely an economic issue but a matter of fundamental rights, equality and fairness in the workplace.
With a general election approaching, pay equity is likely to remain a significant policy issue.
The Committee’s findings place renewed pressure on lawmakers to consider whether the 2025 amendments align with New Zealand’s legal and human rights commitments.
As debate continues, the core question remains whether current settings adequately protect the right to equal pay for work of equal value – or whether legislative reform is required to restore confidence in the system.
