Abstract
The vision of the Accident Compensation Scheme (ACC scheme) is to provide comprehensive compensation for personal injuries suffered on a no-fault basis for the benefit of every New Zealander. Generally, ACC statutory material appears to be gender-neutral at a surface level, with no express provisions for different cover and entitlements for women compared to men. However, ACC’s internal analysis recently revealed that "women are less likely to make ACC claims, more likely to be declined when they do, and they receive half the compensation men receive." This raises the question: what is the explanation for these sexist outcomes?
To answer this question, I pose two underlying competing worldviews, the traditional worldview and the progressive worldview, as drivers behind gender-biased outcomes and outcomes of gender equality. I argue that outcomes of decisions regarding women’s bodies, concerning the availability of cover under the scheme, depend on which worldview lawmakers align with.