The Ministry of Women’s Affairs' policy advice is focused on its three priorities of greater economic independence, more women in leadership and increased safety from violence. The Ministry also leads New Zealand’s obligations for international reporting on progress on the role and the status of women.

In developing policy advice, the Ministry recognises that women are diverse: their experiences, needs and priorities are not all the same.  Some groups of women continue to have poorer outcomes relative to other groups. The Ministry recognises this diversity in developing its advice and identifying appropriate solutions.

The Ministry has a sharp focus on demonstrable results and monitors progress for women, particularly across its three priorities. This is to monitor the effectiveness of existing policies and other interventions, to identify emerging trends, and to provide information on the progress towards better outcomes for women.

The Ministry’s key priorities are:

• Greater economic independence – increasing women’s lifetime earnings and gaining a better return on the investment in their skills
• More women in leadership – increasing the numbers of women in leadership roles
• Increased safety from violence – contributing to the reduction of incidences of violence against women, particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence.

The Ministry is also the lead agency that manages the government’s international obligations in relation to the status of women.  In this role it promotes and protects the interests and well-being of women in international forums, and promotes the development of domestic policy that is consistent with international responsibilities of New Zealand in relation to the status of women.