Online business directory for rural women
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) is launching an online business directory called The Country Women’s Collective to promote and support entrepreneurial rural women.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) is marking International Women’s Day by reminding the rural sector why the day is important.
"By measuring progress and highlighting the work still to be done, we can ensure that we keep moving forward in addressing inequities faced by girls and women around the world,” says RWNZ president Gill Naylor.
She says the primary industry has typically been seen as a man’s world where women remain hidden as an invisible partner or in a support role where they are perceived as providing less value.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, she says.
“There are increasing numbers of women represented at all levels of primary industry whether running farming businesses, heading up industry organisations or taking on governance roles but we still have some way to go to ensure we are not restricting the talent pool and putting unnecessary barriers in the way,” Naylor says.
“We also need to keep reminding ourselves and our communities of the valuable work that women do and the contributions they make to a healthy and thriving society.”
She suggests there are a number of ways New Zealanders can show their commitment to gender equity.
Naylor says one way is for employers to get behind the “Mind the Gap” which seeks to end the gender pay gap in New Zealand.
“We can support the recognition of the vital work done by those in female dominated professions, such as nursing, midwifery and healthcare, and the value of their contribution.”
Naylor says RWNZ will continue to promote women’s voices and the need to apply a gendered lens to policies both in New Zealand and across the globe.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.