The dearth of women board members in New Zealand - highlighted in a survey which ranks us as the worst in the Asia/Pacific region - is due to a lack of leadership from the Government, Labour's Women's Affairs Spokesperson Sue Moroney says.

"New Zealand shouldn't be, but is, is lagging behind countries like China, India, Malaysia and Australia."

The survey, of the largest 100 companies in each of seven Asian Pacific countries, found 65 per cent of all company boards in New Zealand have no women members, Sue Moroney said.

"Kate Sheppard must be turning in her grave.

"It is woeful, and it's been brought about because John Key and his colleagues decided to abandon a Labour target of having equal representation across all statutory boards.

"Since National scrapped that target, the representation of women on those public boards has stalled at 41 per cent," Sue Moroney said.

"Interestingly John Key's 2009 'Women on Boards' initiative, directed at the private sector, appears to have dropped off the radar as well.

"It was launched amid much hoopla and photo opportunities, yet now we have a report that shows there's been no improvement at all.

"The Minister of Women's Affairs should stop the pretence and take some real legislative action like other countries in our region have.

"Reinstating the 50 per cent goal for statutory boards would be a good start," Sue Moroney said.