International Women’s Day #choosetochallenge
The International Women’s day theme this year, #choosetochallenge, encourages us all to find courage in standing up against gender bias and inequality. The global day, which exists to celebrate economic, political and cultural advancements of women, not only helps us all to acknowledge the strength of Wahine historically, but also serves as a call to action to encourage women around the world to continue in the fight for gender equality. As we begin to recover from the turbulence of 2020, it is even more essential that we encompass the theme of choosing to challenge in our every-day lives. By now, it has become evident that female employment and female dominated industries have been disproportionately affected by economic hardship and unemployment. This is why we need to continue to pave the way for women, and challenge structures that hold Wahine back from reaching their full potential.
In celebration of our commitment in choosing to challenge, let’s take a look at two courageous women of Aotearoa, who have paved the way for women in their professions.
Wahine who inspire us:
Kristine Bartlett, New Zealander of the year in 2018, is a champion for equal pay. Specifically, in the low-income, female dominated industries of aged-care and support work. Bartlett, after working within aged-care support for twenty years, began a legal battle arguing that her profession was poorly paid due to the primarily female work-force. The landmark case began in 2012, as a complaint against the Employment Relations Authority. Despite the lengthy legal battle, consisting of three court cases, two appeals and a timeline spanning five years, the court eventually ruled in Bartlett’s favour. Bartlett’s continued fight and determination resulted in a $2billion equal pay settlement and pay rise for 55,000 essential and low paid workers. To learn more about Bartlett’s incredible story, click here.
Another wonderful Wahine who has paved the way for women in Aoeteroa is Tiana Epati, President of the New Zealand Law Society. Appointed in 2019, Epati is the first President of the Law Society who is of Pacifica descent, the first to give birth while in the role, and one of the youngest to ever serve. Despite this impressive list of accolades, Epati continues to challenge barriers that she has faced within her law career. Her ethos focuses on tackling the structure of these issues, such as institutional racism and harassment of women in law. Shifting the focus from the individual, to the structural barriers faced by women of colour, Epati believes is essential in creating a leadership pipeline for women. So that her role may be succeeded by many more women to come.
Image sourced from https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/news/people-in-the-law/lawyer-profiles/tiana-epati/
The commonalities that Kristine Bartlett and Tiana Epati have is their courage in choosing to challenge the structures placed within their profession. These women have paved the way for younger generations of Wahine to stand up for equal pay and leadership opportunities. So, with the International Women’s Day theme of choosing to challenge in mind, we encourage all of you stand for what you believe in, even if sometimes it may be a little daunting.
Today is a call to action to encourage women around the world to continue in the fight for gender equality.
I will continue to choose to challenge the mindset of the women I coach and develop so they think big, have the confidence to lead, earn what they are worth and reach their amazing potential. Let our voices be heard. Wahine Toa ?
Ngā mihi nui
Mel Boyle
Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu (with feathers a bird can fly)
