PowerUp campaign: ChirstchurchNZ

Ōtautahi has been a great centre of women’s achievement and we want to build on that strong legacy.

Consider this year’s football tournament that was not known as “the women’s world cup”, but simply, FIFA. There was no need to prefix it. The game was being played at an exceptional level, by talented women, creating appointment viewing across Aotearoa and the world.

Recently, a significant mural was unveiled in the city honouring a group of influential wāhine toa of the past to empower the future generation. Created by Ōtautahi artist Kophie Su’a-Hulsbosch and Tāmaki Makaurau artist Janine Williams, the women featured achieved significant milestones for wāhine and made substantial change within our communities. The same day, The Christchurch Foundation’s Kate Sheppard High Tea recognised 130 years of women’s suffrage, an incredible event that embodied female empowerment and opportunities for all.

That’s why ChristchurchNZ’s next PowerUp campaign launching in a few weeks is a very timely. Last year, women were identified as one group across Canterbury who were underemployed and underutilised, and PowerUp supported women into work with information, inspiration, and connection opportunities. The focus of the campaign’s second iteration is encouraging women into engineering and STEM roles. In the STEM workforce, only 28% are female. And just 14% of engineers in New Zealand are women.

The changing world needs diversity of thought more than ever before, particularly in tech and science roles. PowerUp is set to grow awareness and empower more women to solve problems and help design our future.