#IWD2024 #InspireInclusion
IWD: IWD 2024 campaign theme was ‘Inspire Inclusion’ (internationalwomensday.com)
Our new gender neutral parental leave policy celebrates the importance of whānau and is based on the belief that each parent should have the opportunity to actively spend time bonding with their tamariki. By facilitating sharing of childcare responsibilities we step away from primary and secondary carer roles and let everyone have the opportunity to spend time with whanau to enable a more inclusive culture to #BreakTheBias #pwcproud
Ursula Oxnam, Director, Organisational Development, PwC
In the traditionally male-dominated energy industry, Powerco is committed to growing the number of women throughout all areas of its operations. Since March 2021, we’ve grown female representation in the executive team from 36% to 44%. This has been partly achieved by developing female leaders and recruiting from our internal talent pool.
Drawing on our GenderTick partnership, we’re nurturing a gender inclusive culture with flexible work and paid parental leave provisions for all genders. This includes enabling partners and primary carers, including those in adoptive, whāngai and foster relationships, to receive paid parental leave.
Emma Bennett, General Manager Gas & People, Powerco
“For me Breaking the Bias is about providing a culture that everyone can thrive in . At Worldline this is a key Global initiative to ensure we have the best people to take the business forward. In New Zealand I am lucky to have a wonderful leadership team which is 50% women and we work hard to make sure there are opportunities for the great women in our business to grow.
One of the biggest barriers for women is we don’t put up our hands for bigger roles and we have a tendency to play down our abilities. At Worldline we work hard to make sure everyone is encouraged to go for opportunities and has the confidence to put up their hands and understand the strengths they bring. Leaders come in all shapes, sizes and personalities and it is these differences that enrich a culture and make a business successful.”
Maxine Elliott, Chief Executive Officer NZ Worldline, Paymark
Here at KPMG, we are particularly proud of our recent parental leave policy which aims to #BreakTheBias and challenge gender stereotypes through more equitable parental leave for all parents. For IWD 2022, we are holding an internal panel event to showcase some of our amazing people who are smashing stereotypes, as well as a wider ASAPC event, that highlights how our leaders continue to empower others to build better workplaces and communities, for a sustainable future.
Laura Youdan, IDE Lead Partner, KPMG
Many of our staff will be contributing to a video we are making with the break the bias hand signal. We are also running some internal speaking events on the day.
In addition to all of the (quite rightly) hygiene factors like interrogating our system (recruitment, performance, promotion, remuneration) and removing any systemic bias importantly at our Executive level we are committed to calling out any bias we witness and to hold ourselves to account to not unconsciously perpetuate any.
In addition we will be the only NZ Corporate to have all of its Exec complete the 10 day Te Kaa Te Ao Maori education programme this year – this will help us all come from a place of better education and commitment to our Te Tiritiri commitments.
Jodie King, Chief People Officer, Vodafone
At Fletcher Building we are working hard to increase the number of women across our organisation. We have set up supply agreements for PPE (personal protective equipment) for women that fits well and we have been creating an inclusive recruitment toolkit to encourage inclusive hiring practices.
Our businesses are also participating in unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training to grow their knowledge and awareness of how to create an inclusive workplace.
Kate Yoxall, Organisational Development Business Partner, Fletcher Building
At MinterEllisonRuddWatts we are asking our staff to share their stories of a person in their lived experience who has sought to break the gender, or other, bias. We know it’s often the small things that can move the dial forward, and we want to acknowledge and celebrate all people who do small things that matter.
We will share staff stories via internal communications channels, so we all can celebrate in these journeys to collectively create a more positive, inclusive world and #BreakTheBias.
Adele Holden, HR Manager, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
At AIA we’re helping to #BreakTheBias by shining a spotlight into the areas that have been in the dark for too long. We’re having honest korero about gender pay gap, pay equality and pay equity – our goal is to be transparent, to start the conversation and to commit to being better.
Brynlea Hunter-Morpeth, Chief People & Culture Officer, AIA
At Chorus, over half of our employees have voluntarily completed our Unconscious Bias programme and this number continues to grow. Whilst our D&I engagement score is in the top 5% industry rating, we recognise there’s more to do to achieve a truly equitable and inclusive workplace.
To avoid bias, we partnered with an external party to conduct a workplace culture review and we are currently progressing with the next phases to identify actions and solutions to achieve gender equity. We’re being honest and transparent in our journey and are open to perspectives and experiences other than our own to mitigate biases we know exist.
Sarah Archer, Manager, Diversity & Inclusion, Chorus
We’re putting our focus in-house this year for IWD: Small but direct action— ahakoa te iti, he pounamu — because this kind of action has a ripple effect. Our action is hosting financial skills workshops for our women to boost their financial knowledge and confidence.
Our focus this IWD is on breaking the bias that holds women back from taking charge of their own financial decisions, which is one of the factors that leads to women being less financially secure in later life. Our action is hosting financial skills workshops for our women to boost their financial knowledge and confidence. We have a partnership with the Commission for Financial Capability (aka the Retirement Commission) who deliver these for us.
Lara Robertson, GM People & Sustainability, NZX
This IWD I’m taking the opportunity to promote and facilitate conversation and curiosity about #BreakTheBias by joining with my peers in our collective pledge making.
I’m hosting a Spark panel event on breaking the bias for women and their leadership in tech and digital services and last but not least …by having kōrero with my four year old about how important her conviction to stand up for herself (i.e. her sass) alongside her kindness and compassion for others is.
Heather Polglase, Human Resources Director, Spark New Zealand
NZ Post are celebrating International Women’s Day by raising awareness of bias through personal storytelling. Click here to check out some of their people supporting #breakthebias
Kim Culpan, Head of Culture & Capability, NZ Post
This year at Fisher & Paykel Appliances we are celebrating IWD with a live panel discussion including CEO Daniel Witten-Hannah about personal experiences with bias in the workplace. We are also promoting our newly implemented Unconscious Bias internal training module.
Katrina Glenday, EVP Product Lines, Fisher & Paykel Appliances
We all get that bias are normal, it’s our brains doing their jobs. The next crucial step is to de-centre ourselves through commitment to always being better, not perfect but better. As an organisation, breaking the bias is a global priority through conditions of raising awareness plus sharing & challenge should we have opportunities to do and be better. We have to take each other along and look after our mana, our own and each other’s – it’s at the heart of ‘tātou, tātou’.
Haylee Putaranui – Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion | Fonterra
Across Australia and New Zealand, we have a group of 170 people who have signed up over the last couple of years to #BreakTheBias every single day that women face. At our core, we have squads of people who are focussed on tackling tough issues and creating safe spaces to have these discussions on menopause, infertility, flexible working and more. We also have squads to raise our social eminence and road-test our job ads for women. Today, we celebrate these efforts and #BreakTheBias with one more person and one more day at a time.
Amandine Crosswell, HR Manager New Zealand, IBM
Te Taurapa Tūhono | NZTE has a busy programme for International Women’s Day
In terms of our mahi to #breakthebias more generally…
Leanne Mercer – Business Advisor – Māori business, Te Taurapa Tūhono | New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Business is the greatest platform for change: An equal workplace is one that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, where difference is celebrated and everyone can move ahead free of deliberate and unconscious barriers.
It’s mission-critical for businesses to open doors by being deliberate in inclusive business practices and processes to tackle bias of all kinds.
Hamish Miles, Managing Director, Salesforce New Zealand