SDG 5 – Gender Equality , He Ira Mana Taurite

Increasing proportions of female students

In 2024, 64.3% of all Massey students identified as female – 16,789 of 26,099 students.

This percentage has generally increased over the last decade but has slightly declined in 2024. The percentage of students identifying as female in:

• 2019 was 63.8%
• 2020 was 64.2%
• 2021 and 2022 was 64.7%
• 2023 was 64.8%.

The percentage of female Māori and Pacific students in 2024 is higher at 72.2% and 70.9%, respectively

Application conversion rates for female students are also higher than those for males.

• 57.5% of applications in 2023 were submitted by female applicants. The conversion rate was 8.5% higher than for male applicants.
• 55.7% of applications in 2024 were submitted by female applicants. The conversion rate was 10.8% higher than for male applicants.

(Data as of August 2025)

In recent years, the number of students identifying as another gender has also increased from less than 20 in 2020, to 70 in 2021, 167 in 2022. 213 in 2023 and 245 in 2024.

See more Massey student statistics

High achievement rates for female students

In 2024, qualification completion rates for full-time, bachelor-level students were 68% for female students compared with 66% for male students (based on Tertiary Education Commission Educational Performance Indicators data). These rates have increased by 6 and 8 percentage points respectively since 2019.

The percentage of female students completing all Massey qualifications was 65.7% or 4,491 of 6,832 qualifications awarded in 2023. This is slightly higher than in 2022, where 65.1% (4,318 of 6,637 qualifications) were awarded to females.

In 2023, the proportion of qualifications awarded to females was:

• 67.2% for bachelor degree-level qualifications.
• 63.5% for postgraduate qualifications.

Increase in women in senior positions

The proportion of women in senior positions at the university is rising.

In 2024, women made up 43% of professors and associate professors — an increase from 41% in 2022 and 2023, and up from 36% in 2019.

Women held 55% of senior manager, directors and manager roles in 2024, slightly up from 54% in 2023. This is a notable rise from 46% in 2019.

Women in Leadership

• A Women in Leadership workshop held on the Ōtehā campus in 2024 provided female staff a platform to engage, network and gain valuable insights into leadership from some of Massey’s top female leaders. Presentations highlighted leadership journeys, challenges and the evolving need for adaptive, inclusive and empathetic leadership.
• In September 2025, a panel discussion exploring leadership experiences and challenges was held. This was followed a discussion on how to better support and uplift women at Massey. The event was hosted by NZUWiL alumnae.
• New research highlighted the importance of feedback in the development of early career female leaders, revealing they are often exposed to feedback that is non-actionable, overly positive or delivered ineffectively. The 2024 study emphasises the need for constructive, future-focused feedback and mentorship to support women’s leadership development.

Read more about the study

Supporting females in the creative arts

Massey University’s Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts supports many initiatives and provides many mentoring opportunities for female students. These include:

Contrast is a vibrant student-led club supporting women and gender diverse screen artists, providing a platform for connection, collaboration and growth within the creative industry. In 2024, Contrast hosted several screenings, created a short film for the 48 hours Film Festival, hosted an acting workshop, held a film festival showcasing members’ work and has regular meetings to provide ongoing support to its members. With a membership of over 100, Contrast was voted Massey’s best social club in 2024.

Cheerios and Chinwags is a student-run club that connect and support women, trans, and non-binary students through mentoring, networking and collaboration with industry professionals.

To the Front is a holiday programme hosted by Massey University in 2024 for 12 to 17 year olds who are women, intersex, trans, takatāpui or gender diverse. Massey students have worked as mentors themselves in this programme. By creating an inclusive, fun and supportive space for our young people, we’re helping to build a brighter future for music and musicians in Aotearoa.

The Pathways Programme is an extension of To the Front for 16-19 year olds that was run in 2024. Participants take part in specialty workshops illuminating paths for music beyond high school, develop new skills and make new contacts to support their music journey.

Massey University is actively researching the underrepresentation of women, Māori and Pacific peoples in creative technologies. The aim is to identify barriers and solutions in order to create a more diverse and inclusive industry.

Find out more about Contrast

Find out more about To the Front

Read more about our research

Mentoring and support for female science and agriculture students

Massey University actively promotes women’s participation and leadership in science and agriculture through mentoring, targeted training and industry engagement. Recent initiatives include:

• Rural Games - Clash of the Colleges: Massey mentored and supported an all-female team who went on to win this national competition in March 2025, encouraging careers in food and fibre industries.
• Wāhine Toa o te Whenua Young Leaders panel discussion: Female leaders and alumnae provided career mentoring and guidance to aspiring students.
• Food Innovation Days: Hands-on workshops for 100 Year 11 girls in food business, science and innovation.
• Showcasing Female Role Models: Female scientists and alumni represented Massey at national roadshows, careers expos and science outreach events to inspire prospective female students.
• Ada Lovelace Day Celebration: Highlighted female researchers and offered informal mentoring opportunities.
• Agriculture, Horticulture and Environmental Science Awards: Recognised top-performing female students and featured a female speaker from industry.

These initiatives show Massey University actively supports women in science and agriculture through mentoring, role models and practical opportunities to build leadership and skills.

Books published on topics of importance to women

Adjunct Professor Jane Park is an editor of Women and Work in Asia and the Pacific. This recently published book from 2023 addresses workplace discrimination against women.

Dismantling Rape Culture: The Peacebuilding Power of ‘Me Too’ is a book by Massey’s Dr Tracey Nicholls that analyses rape culture through the lens of the 'Me Too' era.

Postfeminism and Body Image, co-authored by Massey’s Professor Sarah Riley, was published in 2022 and explores the postfeminism idea that women empower themselves by working on their appearance. The research looks at how the pursuit of ideal femininity can undermine women and make them vulnerable.

Development and launch of Kāhui Irarau – a student-led project!

In 2022, a team of College of Creative Arts students who identify with the rainbow community worked alongside the university to develop a community service to support rainbow and takatāpui community individuals.

The initiative, known as Kāhui Irarau (loosely translated to a flock or gathering of many lives), is an indigenous-led approach to promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

The name draws inspiration from the whakataukī (proverb) e koekoe te kōkō, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū. This signifies the diverse richness of both our native birds and our people, much like the tūī squawking, the kākā chattering and the kererū cooing.

Kāhui Irarau serves as a platform for fostering connections and offers a range of events throughout the year.

You can find out more about this initiative using Facebook and Instagram.

First-ever female Young Farmer of the Year

In 2023, Massey alumni Emma Poole has made history by becoming the first-ever female FMG Young Farmer of the Year. The competition has run for 55 years and is the flagship event for NZ Young Farmers, showcasing the level of skill and knowledge of young people in the food and fibre sector.

Doctorate research explores gender equity in sports and politics

Recent doctorate research has focused on gender equity. It explored women’s historical participation in sports organisations to better understand ongoing gender inequities, and analysed discriminatory media portrayals of female politicians.