Two members of the Manukau Branch of NCW attended the International Women's Day multicultural event on 8 March 2024 held by the Filipino alliance of women's organisations called Gabriela Aotearoa. The event was part of the "One Billion Rising" celebration for 2024. According to their website: "We rise through dance to express joy and community and celebrate the fact that we have not been defeated by violence [against women]. We rise to show we are determined to create a new kind of consciousness – one where violence will be resisted until it is unthinkable."

Jean Fuller
6 September 1934 – 5 March 2024

Born in Auckland, Jean grew up on a farm in Tuakau. Attending Auckland University, Jean graduated with an MA in English then taught at Hamilton Girl’s High School. With her husband Geoff, Jean settled in Karori where they had two boys. Once they had grown up, Jean returned to the workforce. Jean embraced computer technology at a time when most people didn’t want to know how to use them, learning computer programming in her early 50s and worked as a database/computer management assistant at the US Information Service from 1988-1999. She always shared her technical ability and knowledge with others, supporting her husband in the writing of legal texts and maintaining the online access to them.

Jean held a number of roles with the NZ Federation of Graduate Women, including National Secretary, Wellington newsletter editor, and supporting academic dress. She joined Parliamentary Watch Committee (PWC) in 2004, convening it from 2010-2014. In this role she provided training to NCWNZ’s Standing Committee Conveners and Board Members. Jean documented processes in a user-friendly manner, to ensure everyone understood everything. Her notes are still used today. Jean was superb at managing the interface between NCWNZ and Parliament, ensuring high quality submissions were presented on behalf of women.

Tēnā tātou katoa,

It is with deep regret that the Board has accepted Maulupeivao Dr Betty Ofe-Grant’s resignation as Vice President and Board member. She has decided that after three years serving NCWNZ, it is time for her to focus on other parts of her life and work.

Betty joined NCWNZ as a Board member in February 2021, when she was elected at the online Conference hosted by Southland. She has been an active Board member ever since, participating in a broad range of Board discussions and activities, including most people’s least favourite task – that of policy writing.

One of her passions is Diversity and Inclusion, particularly in workplaces. Betty ably formed and led the Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility committee who have been discussing policies and actions that we can take as an organisation to better welcome all people. She ran our online training sessions on gender equality, and diversity and inclusion for the Japanese Women’s Innovation Network (J-WIN), to great reviews. To do this, or two years in a row she pulled together a group of NCWNZ members to share their experiences, and Betty gave overviews of the issues from an Aotearoa New Zealand perspective. Little known fact: Betty can speak some Japanese, so she ‘wowed’ them every time!

Dunedin branch members were shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death on 23 November 2023 of a valued and loved branch member, Anne Rodger. Just days before, she had been MC at the 100th birthday celebrations of the Dunedin Women’s Branch of the Labour Party, after returning from a South Seas cruise with daughter Gillian. She had been ill, but this was unexpected.

The citation for a well-deserved MNZM in the New Year’s Honours List of 2019 stated:

"Anne Rodger had been a member of the National Council of Women since 1983 and served as both Secretary and President of the Dunedin Branch. She was instrumental in establishing the NCW’s Alexandra’s Branch.

"She represented the Dunedin Branch on the Dunedin Forum for Non-Violence for three years, facilitated the 1993 forum ‘Towards a Non-Violent Society’ and was a member of the NGO Coordinating Committee for the Beijing World Conference on Women from 1992 to 1996.

"At Catholic Social Services in Dunedin she established a ‘Birth Support Group’ for very young parents and co-facilitated a post-natal programme for women raising infants alone. She initiated a group to address issues for grandparents responsible for the upbringing of their grandchildren, which is now a nationwide service run by Presbyterian Support services.

"Anne had held numerous voluntary executive and committee roles including with the Dunedin Childcare Association, Dunedin Māori Women’s Welfare League, Otago Co-ordination Committee for the Disabled, the Young Women’s Christian Association, the Council for Equal Pay and Opportunity, the Help Sexual Abuse Foundation, the Mosgiel University of the Third Age, the Dunedin University Club, SeniorNet Otago, and Abbeyfield (Residences for the Elderly) Dunedin which she helped establish."

After leading the Influence and Decision-Making Action Hub since its inception, Co-Convenors Sue Kedgley and Amy Rice are stepping down. Here’s what they have to say reflecting on their time at the helm.

Sue Kedgley

Tell us a bit about yourself and your involvement in NCWNZ prior to becoming an Action Hub Co-Convenor.

Sue: I joined NCWNZ about three years ago and was active primarily in writing submissions. When the Action Hubs were created someone suggested I might be interested in Convening the newly created Influence and Decision Making Action Hub and I agreed to do so. I felt it was important to have a young woman helping to lead the hub and so I approached Amy and was delighted when she agreed to lead it with me.

Amy: Back then I was a member of the NCWNZ Wellington Branch, but didn’t really have the creation of Action Hubs or any other big picture NCWNZ stuff on my radar. I was working as a policy advisor in government and outside of work and NCWNZ, I filled my time with sports (touch rugby, running, triathlon) and volunteering to help people experiencing homelessness.

What attracted you to take on the role of leading the Influence and Decision-Making Action Hub?

Sue: It was a new Action Hub and I liked the idea of seeking to increase the influence of NCWNZ.  

Amy: I actually only considered the role because Sue invited me to come on board with her. I knew working alongside someone with her experience was an opportunity too valuable to pass on so while it was daunting, I said yes!

Kia ora! I’m Mathilde Le Goff, and I’m the new intern in the NCWNZ for five months, until mid-July 😊

I’m 23 years old and I'm from Toulouse, in the south of France. I’m studying political sciences and my master’s degree focuses on the fight against discrimination, that is gender issues, but also racism, disabilities, LGBT+ phobia, and all types of discrimination that could exist.

I’m currently doing a gap year between my two years of master’s degree and before coming to Aotearoa, I did another internship for 6 months. I worked in a council agency in France, specialised in all of the topics related to diversity and inclusion in big companies, and I had mainly to deal with disabilities and gender issues.

Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women selected Aleisha Amohia, President of the Wellington Branch of the National Council of Women New Zealand, as the non-governmental delegate to join the official New Zealand Government delegation to the sixty-eight session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) from 11 – 22 March 2024. Applications were assessed by a selection panel comprising representatives from the International Women’s Caucus.

Aleisha earned two degrees from Victoria University of Wellington: a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Information Systems). She is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sector. Much of her volunteer work is to ensure more women, Māori, and other marginalised groups, look for and stay in STEM careers.

Women and girls are a key to climate action. There is an urgency at every level to effectively mitigate the devastations of the Climate Crisis. Collectively women must be at the decision-making table to help find strategic solutions through influencing climate change policy and legislation and to engage at grass roots. Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and te ao Māori (the Māori world) values need to be centralised in our relationship with whenua.

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that Elizabeth Jane Prichard MA, CNZM, QSO, died on 2 December 2023. I knew Jane from the 1980s, and when I came back from Qatar in 2012 Jane asked me to join her in Pacific Women's Watch New Zealand (PWW-NZ). She gave me the role of PWW-NZ representative to the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) Auckland branch, and she also made sure I went to New York to the United Nations (UN) meetings. It has been my honour and privilege to work with Jane for the last ten years and previously. Jane was a woman of vision and ambition. Her ambition was for all women and especially that the most marginalised could live fulfilled and safe lives.

Jane’s vision grows out of her early involvement with the Federation of University Women (now Graduate Women) at the time when the UN Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was being discussed around the world. Jane saw CEDAW as a key treaty and was part of discussion and education groups through the 1980 and 90s.

Former Whanganui Member of Parliament Steph Lewis spoke on Tuesday 13 February 2024 at a regular meeting of the Whanganui NCWNZ branch. After a general summary of the history and goals of the National Council of Women as well as an overview on women in parliament today, we introduced Lewis. Carla Donson Manager of the Women's Network then put questions to Steph and it felt more like a conversation about her experiences and reflections being an MP.

Lewis focused on coping with public abuse that MPs, especially women MPs, endure. The abuse came from men and women. People threatened to protest at her home, and some would even follow her home from meetings. 

In February 2022, Lewis was harassed by anti-COVID vaccine mandate protestors outside Parliament. Some protestors came around the building banging on windows, and she heard them threatening to kidnap and lynch her. When Parliament adjourned at 10 p.m. protesters waited at the exit for MPs to leave, and security had to escort them from the building.