Nestled in the beautiful and sublime heart of Rotorua, at Te Puia Geothermal Wonderland, Global Women members gathered together for Hui 2025: Resilient, Renewed, Rising.
Grounded in the spirit of wāhine toa, and honouring the legacy of those who came before, the kaupapa unfolded in this environment imbued with history, fire, and healing – an apt space to look back on our progress towards gender equity in Aotearoa, and convene as wāhine leaders advocating for future progress.
From the very outset of the hui, the themes of resilience, renewal and rising were woven into the kōrero of our speakers and attendees. Global Women Chair Dame Theresa Gattung opened the hui with an address that embodied the whakataukī ‘Kia whakatōmuri ki haere whakamua’ – I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past. Acknowledging Global Women’s progress to date, reflecting on the collective mahi of our Champion partners and affirming our ongoing commitment to lifting up future women leaders, Dame Theresa finished her kōrero with a warm welcome to new CEO Katie Bhreatnach, who has taken to the role with a deep sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for deepening our impact as a movement.
Anchoring us in place and setting the tone for the day, our first panel session threaded together an examination of the past, present and future of Rotorua. Facilitated by the inimitable Cassandra Crowley, this kōrero with Hon Steve Chadwick and Mayor Tania Tapsell was rich in insight and whakaaro. The importance of long-term, mokopuna-centric decision-making, and the value of quiet, powerful, and ongoing resilience was underpinned by our speakers. With Aotearoa and the world facing challenges to progress and equity, Steve, Tania and Cassandra spoke to the importance of rising above political division, prioritising intergenerational collaborative leadership, and serving community.
Further exploring the impact of global trends, Sarah Baddeley led a fierce discussion on economic equity with Dame Marilyn Waring, Christina Leung and Professor Gail Pacheco. Closely examining the wide range of economic realities faced by women in Aotearoa, the kōrero challenged how we value work, how we measure worth, and where we invest. Dame Marilyn drew attention to the unpaid labour supporting current economic systems, and Sarah invited members to join her study group on “Unintended Fiscal Impacts” – revealing the hidden realities of economies and emphasising the need to share prosperity for a healthy, thriving society.
Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) macro-strategy panel then led the rōpū through a session on how we can spin good intentions into systemic change. Karleen Everitt opened this critical kōrero with a beautiful welcome and waiata, facilitating a rich and expansive discussion with Hon Margaret Wilson, Prue Kapua, Judy O’Brien, and Amanda Ellis. Unpacking the fabric of our constitutional history, Margaret contextualised the current status of equity initiatives. Prue spoke on how DEI does not dilute merit, but rather expands our definitions and understanding – grounding us as mana wāhine in our local context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Judy then laid down a powerful wero, challenging us to lead not just with care, but with courage – embedding actions in values, even in the face of discomfort – and to let those values not only guide our work, but connect us more deeply to one another. In a call to keep the fire burning, Amanda Ellis reminded us of Aotearoa’s legacy of gender equity leadership on the global stage, urging us to look to the past as we boldly lead into the future. The whakaaro from the panel was carried into our breakout discussions, where Tania Dommett and Angela Meyer challenged us to identify the values we hold when it comes to the rights, safety and dignity of women, and to investigate what would accelerate equity tomorrow.
Moving into the sacred space of the wharenui, our Champions for Change session explored the tangible and challenging cultural work that is happening in some of Aotearoa’s most powerful institutions. Tania Simpson facilitated a courageous conversation with Antonia Watson, Kellie Coombes, Jo Avenell and Caroline Ovenstone on showing up visibly as wāhine leaders, and shifting organisational cultures. Reflecting on the progress of Champions for Change, our panellists pointed out the critical necessity of sustained effort and measured progress for systemic change.
We were then immersed in the culture of place, moving into a state of connection and creativity through the practice of raranga. In weaving harakeke, the material of this whenua, we witnessed how each strand is strengthened through partnership and connection. We followed this experience by fastening our focus in the realm of tinana, with a session on health inequities in Aotearoa. Markerita Poutasi and Cheyne Chalmers laid out confronting truths: our health system creates and perpetuates structural inequities, having been designed for and by men. It does not, and has never, served women – and in Aotearoa it is wāhine Māori and Pasifika women experiencing the worse outcomes. But there is hope for change: with a solid Women’s Health Strategy established, now is the time to plan. Together we can advocate for and invest in change, take accountability, and take action.
After this full day of inspiring, challenging and profound kōrero, Kura Forrester joined us and offered a moment of levity – that greatest antidote to gravity. Instigating contagious laughter, and infusing the wharenui with joy, we closed the day in a space of connection, sustenance, and healing. In the geothermal heart of the whenua, blanketed by steam, we were renewed and rejuvenated by healing waters, and supported to find collective unity anchored in our shared commitment to purpose.
Reconvening for day two of the hui, threads of whakaaro from day one were plied together in our morning session with facilitator Lianne Dalziel and panellists Dame Jenny Shipley and Vanessa Eparaima. Reframing resilience as “post-traumatic growth,” Lianne shared insight into finding strength and evolution through adversity. Dame Jenny laid out the importance of leading with clarity of purpose and intent, not getting caught up in negative thinking. Vanessa urged us to stand in our truth and let anger be a fuel that propels us to lead in the face of division and uncertainty.
Taking up the thread of hope, Gill Gatfield facilitated a kōrero with Alison Mau, Zoë Lawton and Kathryn Kerner on the opportunities presented by AI. Alison and Zoë shared their journey as founders of Tika, a tech start-up providing a safe digital platform for sexual assault survivors to report their experiences, connect with others and pursue collective action. Kathryn further examined how technology can drive systemic change, sharing a presentation that looked both at the risks of AI, and how it can be used to create better working environments.
The drive towards progress fuelled our day two sessions, with Jenny Rudd, Andy Blair and Ana-Marie Lockyer stoking a firey kōrero on the gender investment gap. We were reminded that investing in women is more than investing in women-run startups, it is investing for our futures, and in the kind of economy we want. We heard about the women disrupting the system from the inside and were called in to back wāhine to build and own the future. We were then joined by our final guest speakers, two rangatahi leaders each with a clear vision of prosperity for future generations.
Emphasising the importance of kaitiakitanga and tikanga-based governance, Aleisha – an environmental planner and iwi leader serving Ngāti Whakaue – shared her vision of protecting both the whenua and our future, by holding fast to values while navigating complex systems. Speaking on closing indigenous wealth gaps, Te Kahukura – the Māori Millionaire –underpinned the urgency of economic sovereignty with a simple message: own your future, invest with intention, and never apologise for building intergenerational wealth. Both rangatahi leaders demonstrated a courageous commitment to kaupapa and to change, embodying leadership grounded in values.
Closing out the day with a fireside chat with Dame Theresa and Katie, we then embarked on a guided tour of Te Puia. In the heart of the valley the great Pōhutu geyser eternally rises out of the fires of the earth, against all odds. Together our rōpū agreed to reconvene in Te Puia for 2026 – in this space where we were supported to resist, reset, and rise up together towards an empowered future.
A massive thank you to the wonderful Vanisa Dhiru, who was our master of ceremonies over the course of the hui, to our on-site team Noah Whaiapu, Briar Payne and Katie Bhreatnach, and to all those behind the scenes who worked to make this beautiful event happen.