This is the third of a series of articles focusing on the NCWNZ Past Presidents Oral History Project with interviews by Carol Dawber in 2016. See the introductory article in The Circular at "NCWNZ Past Presidents oral history interviews from 2016" (August 2024).

This month, we look back on the leadership of Beryl Anderson ONZM, President of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) from 2002 to 2004.

Beryl shares stories of her journey from librarian to president, the balancing act of full-time work and volunteer leadership, and her unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion. Her presidency came at a time of digital transformation and shifting demographics—but her focus on thoughtful advocacy, practical action, and genuine connection continues to resonate today.

When Beryl Anderson reflects on her time with the National Council of Women of New Zealand, she speaks not just of policy and meetings—but of people. Of the women she worked alongside, the shifting challenges of each decade, and her quiet but steady belief that meaningful change takes time, thought, and the willingness to keep showing up.

Born in 1953 and raised in Petone, Beryl grew up in a practical, working-class family. Her father drove a petrol tanker for Caltex and later ran a service station in Karori. Her mother, once a secretary to the general manager at Winstones, stepped away from paid work to care for the family. One of five children, Beryl’s early life was shaped by strong values of service and community responsibility.

She attended Hutt Valley High School and took on the role of school librarian—her first step into what would become a career in libraries and public service. While she never originally set out to be a leader, she developed her skills through experience: becoming a library assistant at the Geological Survey, earning her Library Certificate while working, and volunteering with VSA in Fiji in the late 1970s. That experience—setting up a library in Suva, working within a different cultural context, and witnessing powerful grassroots feminist leadership—left a lasting impression.

Returning to New Zealand, Beryl continued working in public service, eventually joining the Forest Research Institute in Rotorua. It was there, amidst the pine forests and library shelves, that she found NCWNZ. The Rotorua branch brought together women from all walks of life—professional women, homemakers, business owners. Beryl loved the sense of shared purpose. She became branch president, organised debates, and worked on action plans. But she also noticed change. As more women returned to the paid workforce, it became harder to fill volunteer roles. The robust debating culture she valued began to shift.

Beryl joined the NCWNZ Board in 1998 and became president in 2002. She was the first to hold the role while working full-time—a challenge she took on with determination and a sense of duty. “It was good to be at those meetings,” she recalled, “but it also meant that the NCW president had to be available to be at those meetings.”

Balancing work at Statistics NZ and later the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) with her NCWNZ responsibilities was no small feat. She often described herself as a single woman with a personal life full of housework, laundry, and bill-paying—but she carved out space for the mahi. As president, Beryl was deeply committed to building on the foundation laid by her predecessor, Barbara Glenie. She supported NCWNZ’s shift into the digital age—encouraging the use of email, computers, and group file sharing—but also worried about what might be lost. “We used to debate over months,” she said. “Now, things happen so fast… it’s not always better.”

She was proud of the push for greater diversity and inclusion. She worked to connect NCWNZ with groups like the Māori Women’s Welfare League, PACIFICA Inc., Shakti Community Council, and the Federation of Ethnic Councils. But she was also honest about the challenges. “We’ve become even more of a white women’s organisation,” she noted, acknowledging how structural and cultural differences made long-term engagement difficult. Beryl’s passion for policy and advocacy was evident in her work on the Parliamentary Watch Committee and the Public Issues Standing Committee. She oversaw dozens of submissions on topics ranging from broadcasting and electoral reform to transport and family violence. She was known for her sharp eye for grammar, her belief in strong research, and her commitment to upholding NCWNZ’s credibility.

Her work on CEDAW (the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) became a defining part of her leadership. She helped coordinate New Zealand’s alternate and shadow reports, travelled to New York for CEDAW meetings, and supported delegates through difficult political moments—including controversial media coverage and the strain of representing marginalised communities on a global stage. Her approach was clear-eyed and steady: “We needed to report critically,” she said, “and not just say everything’s on track.”

In conversation, Beryl often reflected on what’s changed—and what hasn’t. She pointed to unfinished business from the 1970s: pay equity, affordable childcare, the ongoing struggle for genuine gender balance. “We still don’t have the things that allow women to operate on an equal basis to men,” she said plainly. Even being the first country to give women the vote didn’t hold much weight for her in the present day. “That was 100 years ago… what does it matter today?” Still, she believed fiercely in the role of NCWNZ as a voice for women, especially in a world where volunteerism was evolving and political engagement often felt fractured. She encouraged younger women to take on leadership roles and reminded older members to make space for different perspectives. In 2019 she was awarded an ONZM for services to women.

“NCW wants to do it without diminishing the status that men have,” she said. “You can only do that by working with them—and with some very open and even processes.”

Beryl Anderson’s legacy as president is one of thoughtful, grounded leadership. She didn’t seek the spotlight but carried immense responsibility with integrity and grace. Her presidency reminds us that change doesn’t always come in loud bursts. Sometimes, it arrives in quiet persistence, in hours spent reading reports, answering phones, running meetings, and writing late-night submissions. Her story is a testament to the power of women who stay in the room, hold the thread, and keep the conversation going.

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See also previous articles in this series: 

• NCWNZ Past President Barbara Glenie QSO (23 February 2025).
• NCWNZ Past President Janet Hesketh QSM, CNZM (24 September 2024).

To read more articles from The Circular (March-April 2025) issue 651, click on the tag below.