International Women’s Day: why money still matters for wāhine

International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate how far women have come. It’s also a good time to talk honestly about where things still aren’t quite balanced. Money is one of those places. 

In Aotearoa New Zealand, women are often careful money managers. We budget, we plan ahead, and we stretch household dollars. But even with those skills, many women still end up worse off financially over time. 

That is not about personal choices. It is about how our systems work. 

Why do women end up with less money than men in New Zealand? 

Women earn less than men on average. In 2025, the gender pay gap was 5.2 percent, which means women earned about 95 cents for every dollar earned by men. That gap is smaller than it used to be, but it still matters, especially over a whole working life. 

Lower pay also means lower savings. Research from Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission shows that men have around 25 percent more in KiwiSaver savings than women on average. For women in their 40s and 50s, the gap is even bigger. 

These differences are not evenly spread. Wāhine Māori and Pacific women are more likely to be on lower incomes and are more exposed to financial stress both now and later in life. 

If women are good with money, what gets in the way? 

Women generally have strong day-to-day money skills. Research shows women often have equal or higher financial knowledge than men. The problem is not understanding money. 

The problem is access. 

Caring responsibilities, time out of paid work, part-time jobs, and insecure hours all make it harder to put knowledge into action. Childcare costs and availability matter too. So does living longer, often with less savings. 

When the system is built around uninterrupted full-time work, women pay the price. 

How does the gender pay gap affect women’s retirement savings in NZ? 

Small gaps early on grow bigger later. Less pay means less KiwiSaver. Time out of work means missed contributions. Less savings mean less of a buffer when life throws a curveball.

By retirement, many women have less to fall back on. Women are more likely to live alone later in life and rely more heavily on NZ Super. That makes day-to-day costs harder to manage, especially as living expenses rise. 

What helps right now 

There is no single fix, but small steps can still make a real difference: 

• Knowing where your money goes and what matters most to you 
• Building emergency savings, even a little at a time 
• Checking your KiwiSaver fund and contribution rate 
• Using free, impartial tools when making money decisions 

At the same time, bigger changes matter too. Closing pay gaps, improving childcare access, valuing unpaid work, and supporting people through life changes all help reduce long-term inequality. 

How Sorted can help 

Sorted is here to support people across Aotearoa to build financial capability and long-term financial security. We know money decisions do not happen in a vacuum, and that everyone’s situation is different. 

That is why Sorted offers free, trusted tools and information that work for real lives, including women’s lives. 

This International Women’s Day, let’s recognise women’s financial capability and keep pushing for systems that support it. 

Because when women are financially secure, whānau and communities are stronger too.