According to Public Health experts, we are in the middle of a global outbreak of whooping cough. Health services across Aotearoa New Zealand are responding to this nationwide epidemic among mostly our youngest pēpi, with 1,232 cases notified since the onset of the epidemic (from 19 October 2024 to 10 January 2025) and 101 cases hospitalised. Pertussis can last up to three months and is sometimes referred to as the ‘hundred day cough’.  Around 50% of pēpi who catch whooping cough before the age of 12 months need hospitalisation and 1 or 2 in 100 of those hospitalised pēpi die from the infection. "The best protection for infants is for their mother to be vaccinated during pregnancy," says Dr Susan Jack, National Clinical Director, Protection, at Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. For adults, New Zealand has a combined pertussis and tetanus vaccine. 

The King has issued honours awards in the 2025 New Years list. Men received 52% (100) of the 2025 New Year Honours, with women receiving 47% (90) and intersex 1% (1). Men and women equally received the higher awards (ONZ to MNZM). Men received 54% (37) and women 45% (31) and intersex 1% (1) of KSOs and KSMs. There were more awards for arts related activities 11% (21) than sports related ones 8% (16). The last time there were more than 190 honours awarded was New Year 2019, when there were 196 with women receiving 51%.

Sixteen awards were given for services to survivors of abuse in care: 9 KSOs (6 to men, 1 to intersex, 2 to women) and 7 KSMs (5 to men, 2 to women).

I welcome the opportunity to reflect as I finish my term on the Board. I was sorry to be unable to attend the recent Conference in Ōtautahi – Christchurch. I hear it was successful and I wish the new Board (new and existing members) all the best.

I step down from the Board after a very intense and interesting time with Te Kaunihera Wāhine o Aotearoa/NCWNZ over 12 years – as a Convenor, Branch President, and Board member. Prior to that I worked with NCWNZ in my role as NZCTU Secretary collaborating on matters like the CEDAW report. I have been unable to contribute much to NCW recently due to the ill health of my partner, but I remain a member and will involve myself as I can.

We in the NCWNZ Ōtautahi Christchurch Branch were thrilled with the success of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and conference on Saturday, October 5th at The Commodore Hotel in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

NCWNZ Wellington Branch were honoured to host our 'Spilling the tea' high tea fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

High tea attendees wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In September, the Wellington Branch of the National Council of Women New Zealand co-hosted a panel intending to put women and gender at the centre of a conversation about the economy.

Annual Women’s Debate organising team with the panel

NCWNZ Manukau Branch held a Suffrage Day commemoration on Saturday 21 September 2024 at the historic St David’s Anglican Hall, 813 Great South Road, Wiri, Auckland.

The guest speaker was Colleen Brown, writer, speaker and author, so she covered a wide range of interesting subjects. She also brought along some of her story books for children (such as Violet's Scarf, a story of an eight-year-old girl in 1915) with the option for attendees to buy one. This offer was eagerly taken up.

NCWNZ made a strong showing at this year’s Women in Governance Awards, run by Women on Boards NZ, a division of the Chartered Governance Institute. These awards are set up to recognise diverse women on boards throughout Aotearoa and have been growing in strength every year. The emphasis is on championing gender diversity and/or gender equity in a variety of different sectors. I was delighted to be nominated by the NCWNZ Board and head office team for the Not-for-profit category, and even more so to be selected as a finalist – and therefore attend the flash awards dinner at the Auckland Hilton Hotel.

Hansa Naran and Pushpa Wood at Women in Governance Awards 2024

I certainly was in good company, with NCWNZ’s Hansa Naran (Manukau), a finalist in the Ethnic Communities category, along with Pushpa Wood. We all got to wear a white camellia wrist corsage, as you can see in the photos taken by Norrie Montgomery on the night.

A selfie at a visit to Rotorua hot pools. Photo supplied by Coco Clellend.

Kia ora koutou,

My name is Coco, and as some of you may know, I have been interning for NCWNZ for the past two months as the board administrator. A recent History graduate from the UK, I was looking for experience in international relations, gender advocacy, and politics. Combining this experience with overseas travel I thought would be an added bonus, which led me to NCWNZ, and I suddenly found myself on the other side of the world!

It was an honour to attend Aotearoa’s CEDAW review in Geneva on behalf of NCWNZ. 

It was a long stretch between reviews with COVID and a lack of funds making the UN reflect on how it does things.  But the CEDAW Committee of elected experts in gender matters was alive and fiery and brought impressive understanding of New Zealand to their questions.

In the first week I attended the International Women's Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Global to Local training alongside P.A.C.I.F.IC.A. President Repeka Lelaulu, Caroline Herewini of Women’s Homelessness Coalition and Dr Rogena Sterling representing Pacific Women’s Watch (PWW). This training gave us a good overview of CEDAW and how the process works. However, the real benefit was getting to know fellow attendees from Aotearoa and figuring out our rhythm for the week ahead.

(left to right): Repeka Lelaulu (P.A.C.I.F.IC.A.), Dr Rogena Sterling (PWW), Ana Peláez Narváez (Chair, CEDAW Committee), Dellwyn Stuart (YWCA), Caroline Herewini (Women’s Homelessness Coalition)