Pacific peoples in New Zealand are more likely than the rest of the country’s population to engage in unpaid and voluntary work. For this reason, this literature scan has been undertaken to identify research published since 2010, on the nature of unpaid work that is undertaken by Pacific Island women in New Zealand.

The underlying assumption that was tested through this scan is that unpaid work undertaken by Pacific women is different from unpaid work undertaken by Māori women, Pākehā women and other ethnic women. Unpaid work has been highlighted as an aspect of wellbeing that is difficult to assess and account for in the way our economy counts ‘things of value’. This initial work is also intended to contribute to these ongoing discussions on the measurement and value of women’s work.