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Here’s How 10 Inspirational Kiwi Women Are Embracing Equity This International Women’s Day

By

Qiane of qianeandco

Today is International Women’s Day, an important day for all those who identify as women and allies. To celebrate, we asked 10 inspirational Kiwi women to see what they had to say on this year’s theme #EmbraceEquity. From startup founders to CEOs, creatives to coaches, there's no simple roadmap to embracing equity but that's exactly how it should be. These incredible women show us that if you want to make a difference, you have to be prepared to put in the mahi. 

Co-founder of Storyo, Elina Ashimbayeva smiles. She wears glasses and a high-necked, floral outfit. Elina Ashimbayeva 

Co-founder of Storyo 

This year, I would love to see us all take more responsibility and accountability when saying that we embrace equity. Let’s put more frameworks in place (be it a simple checklist or set of questions) and expand where we go to learn about equity. Listening to stories of women, gender diverse folks, people of colour, queer folks, disabled folks, and indigenous folks, and allowing their stories to change us—so I'm shamelessly plugging Storyo here as a place you can start. 

Co-founder of Manzana, Dil Khosa, smiles while crossing her arms. She wears a black outfit. Dil Khosa

Co-founder of Manzana

Embracing equity in my world means funding more women entrepreneurs, particularly Māori, Pacific people and women of colour in Aotearoa. Women have been shown to score higher than men in leadership and entrepreneurial results, yet they are often overlooked for investment. On the flip side, equity also means having more women investors to balance the patriarchal bias in investment decisions. If we want to be leaders in inclusive, thriving entrepreneurship AND do better for our people and planet, we need to fund more women-led start-ups.

Slam poet Stellar Pritchard crouches on one knee and flicks her hair with her hands while power-staring. Stellar Pritchard

Slam Poet & House Of Coven-Aucoin 

To me, this year’s theme means embracing the differences people have and building a sense of understanding. These factors play a role in how people move and operate in this world so lead with kindness and goodness. When helping others, do so from a place of wanting to liberate them but also of wanting to liberate yourself while doing so. 

Nikki Goodson, Founder of Impact Digital smiles. She wears a black and white polka dot dress and a necklace of a tree. Nikki Goodson

Founder and Marketing Consultant at Impact Digital 

Partnering or working alongside each other comes to mind when asked about embracing equity. Especially after Covid, there are so many incredible initiatives popping up. But what may seem like a solution to you doesn't always work for others. So it's important to get to know the people and system you're working with. Even better when we can enable communities to create their own solutions. One example that comes to mind that I've been working with is Manzana—a women-led entrepreneurship hub.

Qiane Matata-Sipu smiles. She wears a blue dress and a tiki around her neck. Qiane Matata-Sipu

Director of QIANE+co and Founder + Creator of NUKU

Indigenous women have historically experienced marginalisation, discrimination, and violence at the hands of colonial powers. This has contributed to ongoing disparities in health, education, economic opportunities and political representation. Embracing equity is prioritising and amplifying the voices of Indigenous women and marginalised communities so we can change the narrative for future generations. It is actively disrupting systems that weren’t set up to serve us, and it is recognising and valuing our unique and powerful perspectives and contributions to this world. 

Priscilla Chand, founder of HIRER HER, smiles and wears a black and white dress as she works at a laptop.Priscilla Chand

Founder of HIRE HER

All human beings regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race deserve equal opportunity in all areas of life, particularly in the workplace. Embracing equity requires us to pay conscious attention to the current biases and systemic inequalities, and find ways to remove them to pave the way for an equal world. This can be achieved in workplaces through creating a culture where gender, equity and diversity are promoted and resources and support are provided. It's important to show our future generations that regardless of one’s background you have an equal chance to succeed.

Suki Xiao, Career and Leadership Coach at As You smiles. She wears a black t-shirt with coloured swans in different orientations. Suki Xiao 

Career and Leadership Coach at As You 

It's about knowing the privileges you hold, learning the challenges that people who are not like you face, and being able to empathise with and acknowledge the marginalised individuals’ and communities’ lived experiences. It's not feeling threatened when the focus has been taken off you and being able to see why you might be temporarily unseen. It's questioning the inequities and injustices that have long existed rather than finding reasons for their continual existence. Embracing equity requires us to be more than good humans, it requires us to deliberately and constantly learn about ourselves and our perspectives as well as take action.

Designer, Anjana Iyer, smiles. She wears a nose ring and a floral dress. Anjana Iyer

Multi-disciplinary Designer & Host Of CreativeMornings Auckland 

Make equity a must-have, not just a nice-to-have. Everyone deserves safe housing, clean air, safe drinking water, and affordable access to nutritious food and healthcare. We need to come together as a community and prioritise caring for each other, being emotionally vulnerable together, and creating joy together. This is the only way we can make actual systemic change and make real equity happen. We have to be willing to attack the status quo and vote for equity and representation.

 Karina Bolland, founder of Balancing Act, smiles and wears a black shirt with red cherries and blue jeans. Karina Bolland 

Founder of Balancing Act

It is important for us to recognise women’s remarkable contributions around the world and the energy we bring to things. International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate all that we do and the powerful role we play. It’s a nice reminder to not just measure women’s success on the impact they have but also to acknowledge how far they have come in their own life. Embracing equity means a world that is inclusive and values differences. Through my business, my goal is to empower women to confidently and authentically show up and serve the world with their best selves.

Kathryn McPhillips, Executive Director at HELP Auckland smiles and wears black glasses three earrings. Kathryn McPhillips

Executive Director at HELP

From the work we do every day, seeing more and more women and children who have been harmed by sexual violence, we understand safety as one form of equity. Safety is so elusive for many of us, particularly for those who are more likely to be targeted due to culture, disability, sexuality, age or homelessness. We need to be safe at home; safe socialising; safe on the streets... When a woman can walk down a street at midnight as nonchalantly as a man, that’s when we’ve achieved “safety- equity”.

Inspired into action? Check out a bunch of rad ways to celebrate this International Women's Day. 

Photo credit: main image @qianeandco, supplied, Nikki Goodson by Tara Ranchhod, Qiane Matata-Sipu by Catherine Tamihere.

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