(l-r) Judi Goldworthy and Christine Knock

Christine Knock, NCWNZ Life Member, approached Papatoetoe War Memorial Library to see if they were interested in the Manukau Branch of NCWNZ undertaking a presentation at the Library regarding the Auckland Women's Suffrage Memorial at Khartoum Place and Te Hā o Hine Place, in Auckland Central.

The Library staff agreed, and so this was undertaken on 17 September 2024. 

The Wellington Branch of NCWNZ had a fantastic time co-presenting an encore screening of Marimari with P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. at the end of August as well as interviewing the people behind the film for the Conversations with Wāhine podcast.

From left to right: Mele Wendt of P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A., Sophie Kelsall and Katherine Dickerson of NCWNZ, Evelyn Kunda, Director of the film, Paul Wolfram, and Eleonora Bello of NCWNZ.

“Where you are is where you are meant to be,” is the encouragement given by Mordecai to his cousin Queen Esther, wife of King Xerxes during a crisis in Persia around the year 750 BCE.

Those words seemed to epitomise the various stages in the life of Trish Lindsay ONZM, as she related them to a gathering of around fifty women, including a group of secondary students, as the NCWNZ Southland Branch celebrated 131 years of women’s suffrage. Trish said, “I’ve called my talk This Looks like Fun because that’s what I thought every time I was invited to be part of a new opportunity that looked different and interesting.”

Those gathered here for NCWNZ Southland Branch’s Suffrage Day breakfast, held on Thursday 19 September at the Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill, interacted socially and listened to this inspirational speaker.

Trish was a country girl, growing up in Aparima at the foot of the Takitimu Hills. From primary school there she went on to St Philomena’s Secondary School in Dunedin, where the teachers encouraged their students to be open to the issues in the wider community. This was followed by University of Otago, Auckland University and Auckland Teachers’ College. Trish returned south to a position at the then James Hargest High School, followed by marriage to a local farmer/stock agent and living in Waianawa.

“This is where I cut my teeth on community involvement while bringing up four children, working on the farm, doing part-time teaching and running a little music school teaching piano to local children,” said Trish. She added, “This community involvement scenario fits in well with Malcolm Gladwell’s theory about doing 10,000 hours practising for future roles.” During this time things happened that caused Trish to do two pieces of research. The first was Rural Children’s Access to Libraries. After much exploration and lobbying the outcome was the creation for the Southland District Council’s Bookbus, which still runs today.

In recent years, the NCW Manawatu branch has had the policy of inviting speakers every few months, for our own edification as well as advertising an NCW presence in the local community. Our combined networks have generated a variety of remarkably interesting and educational presentations.

On a crisp winter's morning, the NCW Dunedin Branch hosted its eighth annual Inspiring Young Women breakfast. The venue reached capacity as 103 senior secondary school students and teachers gathered to enjoy a cooked breakfast and be inspired by our panel of speakers.

NCWNZ Whanganui Branch plans to have its annual Scholarship evening on 20th September to celebrate the winner of the Wynne Costley Literary Research Scholarship. Students are required to complete a research essay on a New Zealand woman of the past or present who has achieved and contributed in a distinct definable way to New Zealand society.

Members from NCWNZ Ōtautahi Christchurch Branch were pleased to have two speakers from Women in Sport Waitaha at their Branch meeting on August 20th.

We are all buzzing after the inspiring successes of wāhine athletes at the Olympic Games. But as our speakers, Katrina Mansfield and Rachel Froggatt, pointed out there is still much to be done to ensure that women and girls who play sport, or who are involved in coaching or management roles, are better supported both financially and emotionally. Our speakers highlighted the work that they are planning as a new organisation. They have been set up for only two years and are at the steering committee and networking stage.

Two members of the NCWNZ Wellington Branch have been recognised for their volunteer work and leadership.

Harita Gandhi-Kashyap receiving her award at the Volunteer Wellington Mahi Aroha Awards 2024

Harita Gandhi-Kashyap has received a number of awards and honours in 2024. Harita’s contributions to NCWNZ include being the Wellington Branch Treasurer, founder of the Conversations with Wāhine radio show and podcast, and member of the Parliamentary Watch Committee. Harita also volunteers with Wellington Indian Association, Crohns and Colitis NZ, and runs another podcast Coconut Chats. She is an accountant in her day job. Congratulations to Harita for receiving the following awards and honours, recognising her unwavering commitment to her volunteer work:

• Vibe Lifter Award from Raglan Food Co
• Top 40 under 40 for 2024 for the Indian Achievers Club
• 3rd Place for the Mitre10 MEGA Wellington Volunteer of the Year Award at the Volunteer Wellington Mahi Aroha Awards 2024

Irene Ryan

On Monday, 8th April, the NCWNZ Auckland Branch invited Dr Irene Ryan to give an overview of a research project she and Branch Chair, Associate Professor, Barbara Myers are working on exploring the life stories of older, single women, aged 50-70 years. Irene began with a story that had provided the impetus for the research. Similar stories resonate today: groups of seemingly ‘invisible single women’, labelled as older, insecure, and struggling, despite many still being in full time employment.

Barbara Myer

The wider study sought to examine how the gendering of social class intersects with ageing, producing lines of privilege and (dis)advantage for single, employed, older women, who over time experience precarity at multiple levels of life’s domains. Irene outlined how the research, unfortunately hindered by COVID and its aftermath, is significant because it shifts beyond the usual ‘snapshot’ chronological age approach. The study considers the biographical dimension of a life course of gendered paid and unpaid work experiences, resources accrued (or not) and the challenges, which have rarely been heard. It does so by looking at ageing (not just chronological age), gendering (which refers to the process of socialisation according to the dominant gender norms), overlaid by social class (defined as the intersection of two-axis: socio-economic power and occupation), to show how identity markers and their boundaries are not fixed and how their social and political meanings vary over time.

NCWNZ members have had a busy week hanging out with Deborah Frances-White, host of the internationally acclaimed The Guilty Feminist podcast. They did live shows in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. 

Read about this award-winning podcast at the website: https://guiltyfeminist.com/.

The list of tour dates for The Guilty Feminist Down Under 2024 series and panelists can be found here: https://guiltyfeminist.com/aus-nz-tour2024/