Case Study: Supporting the Pay Transparency Campaign and reducing the Māori, Pacific and Ethnic Pay Gap The Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry and Pay Transparency Campaign has paved the way for Pacific peoples and other vulnerable communities to be confident in speaking out against discrimination in the workplace and pay inequity. In 2023, the Commission launched its secondphase of campaigning for legislation for reporting pay transparency and ethnic and gender pay gaps. We engaged with community and business leaders, policy leaders, and politicians across the political spectrum. The Commission wanted to underscore the Government’s human rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi responsibilities to protect Tangata Whenua and ethnic minorities’ right to just and favourable conditions of work, including fair wages, equal remuneration and employment opportunities, and protection from discrimination. The cumulative impact of this work has also contributed to a recognition in Aotearoa of the urgent need to address gender and ethnic pay gaps. In May 2023, the Commission released a nationwide poll conducted by Talbot Mills Research that demonstrated that nearly two out of every three New Zealanders consider pay gaps to be a “significant” or “very significant” issue, with a similar number supporting new pay transparency policies to address the issue. The polling also showed majority support for pay transparency policies across supporters of all political parties in Parliament. We will continue to advocate for pay transparency legislation be passed in Aotearoa which upholds Te Tiriti o Waitangi and reflects human rights principles. We will also continue to nurture and grow the relationships that have been developed with Pacific communities to promote human rights for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa. This campaign was on the back of our 2019 “End Pay Secrecy” campaign in which a 4,141-strong petition was handed to the Government. The petition called for pay transparency legislation and the establishment of an independent pay transparency agency to help close the gender pay gap. In March 2023, fifty-two prominent notfor-profit organisations, businesses, unions, and faith-based organisations signed an open letter led by the Commission. The letter to the Prime Minister and the Ministers for Women and for Ethnic Communities, urged them to introduce legislation with urgency to close gender, Māori, Pacific, and other ethnic pay gaps. 21