About GWN

The Government Women's Network (GWN) started in 2015 when a group of professional women who didn't know each other came together for business.

The group identified that people in a wide of range of different agencies were doing the same things, interested in the same concerns and promoting the same kinds of activities.

It seemed that there must be a better way.

One year later, the result is a network designed by women, for women, reaching right across government and all around New Zealand.

12 interested agencies initially helped to get GWN off the ground.

Interest in establishing the GWN grew from meetings of public sector women's networks in late 2014 and 2015. These meetings involved representatives from:

Inland Revenue (IRD); Ministry of Education (MoE); Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE); Ministry for the Environment (MfE); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT); Ministry of Justice (MoJ); Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP); Ministry for Women (MfW); New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF); Police; The Treasury; Public Service Commission Te Kawa Mataaho (the Commission) and others.

GWN has been co-created through an Establishment Working Group that comprised of individuals from IRD, MFAT, MoJ, MPP and the Commission.

GWN is working to achieve system-level change 

Nothing less is going to create the wide, deep and sustainable shift right through the public sector that we believe is required. We can do this by partnering with others and sharing solutions.

What about individual women and groups that need help?

Because the system-fix will take time, women like everyone else may need help navigating their career pathways, pipelines and pitfalls right now. Colleagues, managers and agency groups are best placed to provide support.

GWN will provide insight, back up, and best practice where we can.

How GWN helps

Gender diversity makes sense on every level

Agencies want to be good employers. And they want to deliver their services in a diverse, inclusive and sustainable way. But they often don't know how or where to start. It isn't easy to move from the way things have always been done to the way they should be done, especially when baselines are shrinking.

Women want their agencies to:

• close the gender pay gap
• provide more leadership and development opportunities
• establish visible and flexible career pathways
• neutralise the effect of caring responsibilities on careers
• share women's many and varied success stories at all levels.

GWN can help public sector women to achieve their potential. We are positioned to be an agent for change and a collective voice. We partner with others to offer insights, skills and best practice.

You can find more documents related to GWN's strategy, plan and outcomes framework on the GWN resources page.

Network representatives 

Network reps are the link between their organisation/agency and GWN

Our reps keep GWN visible to their agency's people and leaders. They also ensure that their network participates in GWN dialogue and action and keeps GWN updated on the network's activities. The network reps can also provide other feedback to GWN that may need to be shared with or followed by other GWN groups or agencies such as the Public Service Commission Te Kawa Mataaho, or Ministry for Women.

Women's networks within agencies

Agency networks are the bedrock of GWN and provide women in the public sector and their supporters information, resources, and events.

These may cover topics such as:

• leadership
• professional development
• skills development
• mentoring and sponsoring information
• career journeys
• networking opportunities.
• any other areas of interest to the women that may be reflective of their operating environment, nature of their work, other issues relevant to the public sector.

Networks can be formal or informal but are always volunteer and employee-led with their own self-determined arrangements for 'management'. Some networks may have some funding support from their agencies.

Networks can work independently or together on initiatives/events to pool resources/efforts. Sharing resources between networks is encouraged to avoid wastage and unnecessary duplication.

GWN's support

• Support all women's networks (whether they are at 'start up' or 'very mature' phase) and all women in government to achieve their potential nationally and in their regions
• Develop and share information, resources, knowledge, and inspiration and promote events that can help women to achieve their potential nationally and in their regions
• Respond to requests for information or assistance from networks or agencies e.g. input on a draft documents
• Use feedback from women's networks to identify what actions can be taken and liaise with the relevant networks/agencies for information and advice
• Partner with the Women in Public Sector Summit.

Sponsor and champions

Co-sponsors

Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone GWN Co-sponsor, and Secretary for Pacific Peoples and Chief Executive

Peter Mersi, GWN Co-sponsor, and Commissioner and Chief Executive | Inland Revenue Department

Peter Mersi is also Chief Executive co-lead with Gaye Searancke for Papa Pounamu which sets the diversity and inclusion work programme for the wider public service.

GWN also receives valuable support from CEs and senior leaders as a leadership group and individually through their agencies.

Steering Committee

• Coyla Cameron, Chair, Te Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice
• Lyn Meredith, Co-Chair, Te Tari Taake | Inland Revenue 
• Josy Valenzuela, Secretariat, Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
• Dr Anna Milne-Tavendale, Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions & Transport
• Naomi Peacock, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development
• Nicola Johns, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa New Zealand Police
• Nic Hill, Te Tari Mātāwaka | Ministry for Ethnic Communities
• Nina Russell, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa New Zealand Defence Force 
• Isabella Sanchez-Bolivar, Manatū Wāhine – Ministry for Women 
• Jess Lucas, Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation 
• Keryn Weir, Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation
• Rachael Bayliss, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand
• Sio Kihe La’a Talakai-Alatini, Te Manatū mō iwi ō te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa – Ministry of Pacific Peoples 
• Susan Price, Te Tari Taake | Inland Revenue

The GWN Steering Committee also includes the Chairs of the regional networks, Cupy Dee – Te Aka Wāhine o Tāmaki Auckland GWN and Megan van den Hondel – Te Aka Wāhine o Te Waipounamu Southern GWN.

The DEI Team 

The DEI Team work to support employee-led networks to thrive by sharing their network experience and amplifying diverse perspectives across the Public Service. The team work with GWN, supporting them to build on progress around their six priorities. Focusing on these priorities will strengthen GWN and women’s networks in the Public Service and ensure positive outcomes for individual women.

Auckland Government Women's Network

Southern Government Women's Network