The stereotype NZ female
Wikipedia (which you will know can be edited by anybody) has this to say about the stereotypical NZ female:
The kiwi female
There are few stereotypes surrounding New Zealand women, and these stereotypes are not as strong as those involving men. The two strongest stereotypes are:
* Independence: New Zealand women are sometimes thought to be more independent than women elsewhere. New Zealand being the first country in the world to give women the vote and the only to have all its most important positions of state power simultaneously filled by women is seen as evidence of this. This ignores the century in between these two events in which New Zealand was far from progressive on women’s rights: for example rape within marriage was only criminalised in the mid 1980s.
* Lack of femininity: Women in New Zealand are supposedly unfeminine, for example wearing masculine clothing and spending little time on makeup and other forms of personal grooming. This can also be seen in a positive light; Kiwi women are portrayed as not being held back by ideas about being ‘ladylike’ and are therefore willing to take on ‘masculine’ tasks such as car maintenance and playing rugby. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark is often seen as an embodiment of this stereotype, for good and bad: critics point at her lack of children and her choice on one occasion to meet the Queen while wearing trousers; supporters like her passion for mountain climbing and ability to hold her own in parliamentary debates.[22]
Just thought I’d mention it seen as there is a lot of discussion about NZ women on here at the moment.
Reply to Dave
….Thanks, but a definitely a big ‘Nooooooo’ thank you, to Kiwi Woman…been there,done that…. been slaughterer and quartered ….Never again…..
Kind regards John Dutchie
Comment by John Dutchie — Wed 31st March 2010 @ 12:54 pm
that says it all,no more for me either
Comment by paul — Wed 31st March 2010 @ 7:16 pm
“New Zealand Women” is far too broad a category. I am pretty sure that NZ has a lot of different sorts of women ranging from the gentle and kind, to the awful and harridan; from petite, well groomed and finely decorated girls, to muscular dykes in overalls and greasy hands. And the full palette between.
You chaps have to live alongside them. They are as anyone else. Generally OK mostly, that one can ‘mingle’ with, with some really bad ones which one should avoid unless with a sword in your hand. As for marrying one…. they will have to make a first-class case. And the more persuasive that case, the less I would trust them !
Comment by amfortas — Fri 2nd April 2010 @ 12:26 am
Kiwi women got the first all country right to vote because of the dedication of Shepherd to get it or them that right, otherwise it would have not happened and she knew the people in parliment to push it through at the time. NZ was even a smaller country back then so it was easier to do or make this change than other bigger countries. However, let’s not be fooled by this as Kiwi women did not get the right to divorce their husbands or paternity rights till much later. Also feminism does not really seem to exist in NZ today as being a feminist means being feminine in ways of thinking and caring and not masculine. I think Katherine Mansfield who was from an upper class Kiwi-English family would have probably been a good example as she was free to get her higher education, become a popular writing artists and explore Europe and marry John James Murray and still have an open marriage relationship as well as see other men and women sexually. She eventually died of gonorrhea and TB as a secondary disease because she could not kick the gonorrhea which was eating away her at nervous system as it did. Gender segregation also did not help the relationships with men and women in NZ blossom- it caused more homosexuality and bisexuality than anything. Sexual abuse is a high issue within the NZ culture. If you go and look at psychologists and counselors you will see that they have a huge amount of therapists approved for sensitive claims that are sexual abuse claims. It not only happens with girl children but boys and abusers can be from of both genders. Segregation is a problem and women getting lower pay than men is a prob. In England and the US I can go around to offices and workplaces and see more women and men sharing similar jobs- here all the low pay jobs seem to go to women and men in labour jobs still get higher pay for maintenance, construction and roadside work. The women have become ladettes and Helen Clark is a fine example of this as she is masculine. I do like that NZ women do not cake on make-up normally and our natural but why should they be expected to dress nicer and up more than then men- the men dress like crap and often have no class whatsoever. There seems to be a double standard- the man can be the bulldog but the women must be the dove. The issues that most NZ women face are due to the oppression of their equality by society in general and this has made them strive to be equal to men by behaving and becoming like men. If the men treated them better and did not give them a cold shoulder the women would also be nicer and kinder. This is the real problems- it is the way men have treated NZ women – not buying them gifts, using them for sex and also exploiting them to be equal and contribute equally financially. It is the inferiority complex of Kiwi men that has made Kiwi women who they are today. Kiwi men can point the finger at themselves to be frank. 1 out of 3 Kiwi women experiences domestic violence or abuse and this is reported stats. It has to be at least .5 if not 1 point higher for unreported cases. The men in NZ can be exceptionally cold, selfish and abusive and that is actually what they women have had to put up with for many years. they have been objectified and many turn to prostitution to make ends meet today. The cost of living is high and today 79% of the senior management roles at work are dominated by men and men only hire men. Blame the Kiwi men for doing this to the Kiwi women- thank you John Key, and also the Kiwi women abusing other women too. NZ is a bully culture and you can thank the men and the Maori for that one!
Comment by Camie — Thu 26th July 2018 @ 3:03 pm
@ Camie :
A more precise stereotypes of Kiwi women can be achieved if we dived them in cathegories such as :
1. Kiwi/English women with different levels of education and financial secutity
2. Asian women from different countries as the Asian countries differ hugely ( Women from Japan have different financial and other expectations than let’s say women from Korea or Vietnam )
The problem is : Due to the existing not always real values’ supporting climate in NZ and exaggerated political correctness combined with aggressive feminism , some of the new arrivals in 6-8 months adopt the opportunistic character of the first group .
And I don’t blame the new arrivals for that . The first sign of an intelligence is are you able to adjust yourself to the new conditions .
Comment by Tony — Fri 27th July 2018 @ 2:25 pm
The word female, is under attack, maybe!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/125416898/language-matters-is-saying-female-a-sexist-use-of-language
“Is it sexist to say ‘female’ instead of ‘woman’?”
So this makes claims.
Female, is a biological term.
Woman defines a single person.
The author defines that by using women.
Or all females, or all adult females.
Female, girl, woman, women, she.
We have our own terms.
Male, boy, man, men, he.
So there is no sexism.
It’s purely the writers attempt, at describing something.
“The discomfort with this term comes from the robust social science and humanities research hubs in these locations which have been heavily involved with debates on feminism, critical scholarship, and equal rights movements.”
They call it humanities.
Only look from a ‘females’ perspective.
And call it equal rights, critical.
Even scholarship, geez.
“while “woman” refers to a recognised gender role in society”
No it doesn’t, it can be anything.
That woman is nasty.
Is singular, and defines her character.
Those women are nasty.
Is also singular, and defines a group.
Women are nasty.
Stereotypes, because some woman, are not nasty.
That female is nasty.
Is singular, and defines her character.
Those females are nasty.
Is also singular, and defines a group.
Females are nasty.
Stereotypes, because some females, are not nasty.
So the use of the word is not wrong.
Is the writer stereotyping, is the problem.
Does the reader, think the author.
Is writing about them.
That is not a manly thing to do.
That is not a womanly thing to do.
Stereotyping by gender.
That is a male trait.
That is a female trait.
State a fact, while ignoring our human nature.
So stereotyping.
We are all about 75% male or female.
And 25% female or male.
So even traits, are stereotyping.
He was a natural, at being a spaceship pilot
She was a natural, at being a spaceship pilot.
He was great, at his job of midwife.
She was great at her gob of midwife.
Seems some words, do stereotype.
Comment by DJ Ward — Mon 14th June 2021 @ 11:27 am
Spelling error.
Job, not gob.
I can generally type on auto.
So my typing finger usually finds the correct letter first time.
Strange how the mind can be doing very complex memory stuff in the background.
Operating the typing finger, as fast as a robot.
It dare not, stereotype, by accident.
Hence when the media stereotypes.
By use of words.
It’s no spelling error.
It’s intentional.
It, has no gender.
There a solution.
Call everyone it.
The word police.
It is the best for everyone.
Comment by DJ Ward — Mon 14th June 2021 @ 11:40 am