Enhancing the participation of women

The Wāhine Toa work programme broadly covers four main areas of Attract, Recruit, Retain and Advance, with each of those contributing initiatives that are progressing towards gender equality and equity within NZDF. Wāhine Toa’s vision is to influence NZDF's culture to be one where our wāhine feel valued, included, safe and empowered. The work of Wāhine Toa is supported and championed by our NZDF senior leadership, with Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Proctor, appointed as our key NZDF Gender Sponsor.

Accompanying the support of our NZDF senior leadership, the Wāhine Toa Programme of work has a number of overarching strategic commitments that shape and influence its focus, such as the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (UN WEPs), which NZDF formally adopted and signed up to in 2020 – becoming the first military in the world to adopt the UN WEPs. We also have a close partnership and engagement with the work being done internationally through NZDF's Women, Peace and Security work programme.

Whilst much of the Wāhine Toa work is oriented around broader organisational initiatives to enhance the participation of women across NZDF, there are a number of ways the voices of our wāhine, as well as gender champions, can be heard through the Wāhine Toa programme. One of these ways is through participation in our Gender Equality Networks (GENs) and Gender Champions.

Gender Equality Networks (GENs)

Our GENs are a network of both NZDF men and women, from across our whole organisation, who believe in gender equality and work to develop and promote initiatives that foster gender equality within NZDF. The GENs also provide a platform to raise awareness of initiatives being undertaken across our organisation supporting gender equality, raise issues and provide input into initiatives, as well as a place to promote and establish connections and relationships. The GENs are supported by a GEN Steering Group (GEN-SG) which seeks provide kaitiakitanga (guardianship), advocacy and accountability for the GENs and provide linkage to our NZDF senior leadership for the voices of our GENs. 

NZDF Gender Champions

NZDF Gender Champions are members of our organisation who believe in, support and actualise gender equality. Gender Champions can be both men and women who advocate for and support the enhancement of participation of women in NZDF. A number of initiatives under the Wāhine Toa Programme also seek to support our NZDF gender champions.