Ann Aitken Worth
It doesn’t seem like the description of your dream job. One of the main qualifications is the ability to survive on five hours of sleep a night, as well as being able to cope with “mountains” of paperwork. You will also need to be constantly vigilant, to make sure the voices of the women are not drowned out by the men. Perhaps not the dream job. But it is what Dianne Yates does – and she’s not scanning the situations vacant columns of the newspapers. Dianne is a Member of Parliament (MP), a Labour list MP, from Hamilton. She has been an MP for more than seven years, although she has been a member of the Labour Party since the 1970’s. She is one of the 37 women in parliament, a group well outnumbered by the 83 men.
As Labour spokesperson on women’s issues, Dianne says she is well aware of her responsibility to represent ordinary women in the corridors of power. It is a responsibility she takes seriously, attending many meetings and functions to make sure she stays in touch with the people she represents. “The hardest part is trying to keep in touch with people ensuring that you represent their views. . . . It’s important that women have equal opportunities.”
Dianne says that being heard in parliament is an uphill task as a women, as many prejudices still exist, and politics is still often played as a “man’s game”. “It’s a constant struggle . . . there are still major assumptions about women . . . women in parliament have to constantly monitor and be vigilant to make sure they get their share of what’s going on.”
Dianne believes it is important not to be carried away by the presence of a few women in power, such as Helen Clark, and assume that things have changed. “There is a glass ceiling. Got to be wary of seeing one or two women in positions of responsibility and thinking things have changed . . . there’s room for improvement in New Zealand society . . . the number of women is top jobs is still small.” Dianne believes one of the ways to bring about greater equality is through new laws, such as Paid Parental Leave and changes in the health system, as well as addressing the pay gap. For the same job where men are earning $1, women are only earning 80c - although in parliament most MP’s earn about $83,000, plus allowances, whether they are male or female.
Despite the drawbacks and the battles involved in being a female MP, Dianne loves her job. She says it is very rewarding being able to help people, both individually and through legislation. It is not uncommon for her to receive flowers from people grateful for her help. Dianne believes it is important for other women to get involved in politics, and believes it is a good idea to begin young, by joining a political party. “Start early, and believe you can do it. Boys have more confidence they can do it. Women are still more timid, less likely to speak up at meetings.” She thinks many young women still believe the idea that they must be kind, nice and have “care and smiles” rather than speaking out and taking a stand. “They need to be focused and support each other. It’s important that they belong to some sort of organisation where they get that. I get lots of support from [women’s groups].”
So if you’re a person who thrives on five hour of sleep a night, loves that paperwork and is prepared to tackle a busy schedule, perhaps politics is the way to go. After all – it’s a job Dianne Yates seems to love.