The Circular
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Women councillors in Palmerston North: skillsets generated
Palmerston North city and regional councillors shared their experiences and wisdom in a session hosted by NCWNZ Manawatu (Palmerston North) branch on May 27th at the Palmerston North City Council Library. The councillors were Deputy Mayor Debi Marshall-Lobb, Lorna Johnson and Karen Naylor from the Palmerston North City Council, with Rachel Keedwell and Fiona Gordon from the regional council, Horizons. The session aimed to reflect on the insights of women councillors, providing valuable guidance for future aspiring women in these... -
Prof Bev Lawton on women's health in New Zealand
The NCWNZ Safety, Health and Wellbeing Action Hub met on 28 May with guest speaker Professor Bev Lawton ONZM, nō Ngāti Porou, who is the founder/director of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (the National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa) at Victoria University of Wellington She presented on "What's needed for women's health in Aotearoa NZ?" Prof. Lawton discussed the importance of targeted health initiatives, the impact of self-testing for cervical cancer, and the broader challenges and opportunities in women's... -
Kate Sheppard Memorial and Category 1 Listing for Heritage NZ
The Kate Sheppard National Memorial to Women’s Suffrage, in Oxford Terrace, Ōtautahi Christchurch, has at last been entered on the Rārangi Kōrero/New Zealand Heritage List as a Category 1 historic place. The creation of the memorial in 1993 was a true group effort, much like the original nineteenth century suffrage campaign led by Kate Sheppard. In June 1990, 44 women representing many women’s groups and organisations met to discuss how they could celebrate the upcoming centenary. One outcome was the... -
President’s kōrero, April 2025
Tēnā tātou kātoa, It is with regret the Board has accepted the resignation of Anmar Taufeek, who has stepped down because of increasing personal and professional commitments. We acknowledge that this was not an easy decision for her, and the Board is sad to see her go. Anmar has been able to bring a diverse perspective to the Board, reminding us all about the contributions and needs of ethnic women in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her dignity, positivity and approachability have... -
Women at the table on climate change - panel discussion 7 May 2025
Register today in Humanitix for "Women at the Table on Climate Change" panel event on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, 5:30 - 7 p.m. The discussion will take place at Rutherford House, Victoria University of Wellington, Pipitea Campus in Wellington and registrants may also choose to attend online. This event is a collaboration between NCWNZ International Action Hub, the Council for International Development, and UN Women of Aotearoa NZ. -
How to talk about climate action
For International Women’s Day 2025, NCWNZ Wellington Branch organised a climate-focused panel and workshop event "How to talk about climate action" with support from Council for International Development and UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand, and generous support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The event was an opportunity for fellow climate and gender activists to come together and discuss how to have positive grassroots conversations about climate action. -
Happy, Healthy, Safe Homes in the Cook Islands
Kia Orana! The Cook Islands National Council of Women (CINCW) held their biennial meeting in Rarotonga on 3-5 March 2025: Uikaraurau: Konitara Vainetini o Te Kuki Airani, with funding support from the New Zealand High Commission in the Cook Islands. Following on from the Pacific National Councils of Women Forum (see Youtube recording) jointly organised by NCW Australia and New Zealand in 2024, there has been contact between NCWNZ and CINCW resulting in an invitation for NCWNZ representatives to attend... -
CEDAW meeting in Fiji, April 2025
In an historic first for the region, nineteen of the twenty-three members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) held the first Technical Cooperation Session in Fiji, on 7 – 11 April 2025. Fourteen countries in the region have ratified CEDAW, with Tonga, Niue, and Palau yet to do so. The three countries that were examined by the CEDAW Committee were Fiji, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. The meeting also held open Talanoa – or thematic discussions... -
NCW Manawatu activities this year
In February the NCW Manawatu decided to concentrate 2025 on these questions: What are the problems for new immigrants to our area? Are there ways in which we can contribute to assisting their needs? For the March meeting, two new members -- Lana Daichman and Beth Weir -- spoke of their journeys. Lana Daichman was born in Russia, then moved to Poland then Israel where she lived for many years. She studied Hebrew, gained a doctorate and had rewarding employment... -
NCWNZ Past President Beryl Jean Anderson ONZM: Leading with Quiet Determination
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,...