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OPINION: About as productive as a politician's taxpayer-funded trip to Hawaii, as cost-effective as an OSPRI IT project, and as smart as the power-company pylon worker, the Hound gives you the NZ Post business strategy:
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) National President, Fiona Gower and National Chair Penny Mudford OMNZ have arrived in New York to attend the United Nations’ 62nd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62).
Gower is representing RWNZ at CSW62 as a member of the Pacific Women's Watch (NZ) delegation and Ms Mudford is attending as the Civil Society Representative on the New Zealand Government Delegation.
“The priority theme for CSW62 is ‘Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls so it is important we are there,” says President, Fiona Gower.
“RWNZ has taken the opportunity to share our stories with women from all around the world, gain knowledge and insights for our rural women from an international platform and get involved with ensuring that UN countries agree to do all they can to empower rural women and girls.
"We will be at various events throughout the two weeks including a side event at the UN which is co-sponsored by the New Zealand, Australian and Argentinian governments.
“RWNZ has organised a parallel event not far from the UN complex which includes women from around New Zealand sharing their experiences in business, governance and media.
“This is truly an outstanding opportunity for RWNZ to share the ingenuity, enterprise and empowerment we enjoy in New Zealand with rural women from around the world so they themselves are empowered – that’s quite special,” says Gower.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.
Grace Su, a recent optometry graduate from the University of Auckland, is moving to Tauranga to start work in a practice where she worked while participating in the university's Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.

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