Recent articles in the media have caused concern over the income gap between genders, after a Statistics New Zealand report revealed that males are earning 20 percent more than their female counterparts five years after graduating.

New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations National Women’s Right Officer Natalie Absalom says that this concern is nothing new and believes that the pay discrepancy and a lack of senior positions for women are part of a “kaleidoscope of issues.”

She says “women do not self promote” and that this is evident with the type of jobs women accept after graduation, which she says are far below their skill base and qualifications unlike male graduates.

She also states that a deeper issue hindering female participation in the workforce is that women are less likely to be put forward for promotion because of potential pregnancy.

Absalom says the issue of “women under valuing their own skills” needs to be addressed and a change in workforce attitudes and struc- tures is required to relieve pay and position discrepancies.