The National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women is an independent advisory body to the Minister for Women on women’s employment. 

Established in 1967, the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women (NACEW) is a Ministerial advisory body. Its work has included addressing immediate employment needs, identifying emerging employment issues, and undertaking research. 

NACEW's role is to:

  • express views and make recommendations to the Minister for Women on matters relating to the employment of women
  • identify systems and strategies to improve outcomes for women in employment
  • provide or access in-depth information on women in employment
  • use networks to identify partnerships, collaborate with key stakeholders, and provide feedback to the Minister for Women on initiatives for women in employment from these groups.

NACEW is independent from Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women. The Ministry, alongside the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, provide a policy and administrative support (secretariat) role to NACEW. 

NACEW have supported the development and engagement on Te Mahere Whai Mahi Wāhine Women’s Employment Action Plan. In 2022, NACEW was also appointed as the national advisory group on pay transparency.

Further information is available in NACEW’s Terms of Reference.

Membership

In January 2023, ten members were appointed to NACEW for a three-year term. Four members were re-appointed, and six members were new appointments. 

Members include a Chair appointed by the Minister for Women and two members are appointed from contributing organisations - the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and BusinessNZ. 

The current members of NACEW are:

  • Traci Houpapa (Waikato Maniapoto, Taranaki, Tūwharetoa), Chair: Traci has extensive governance experience and is a recognised industry leader. She specialises in strategic and economic development advice to Māori, iwi, and public and private sector clients, particularly in the primary industries sector.  
  • Bernadette Pereira: Bernadette is a community leader and champion for Pacific women and communities. She has worked with the community, academic, business, and government sectors.
  • David McLean: David has extensive governance, leadership, and business experience, particularly in the banking sector. He is a strong advocate for reducing the gender pay gap.
  • Theresa Gattung: Theresa is a business leader, philanthropist, and investor. She has extensive experience in companies of all types, from large corporates to successful start-ups, and is involved in several not-for-profit philanthropic interests. 
  • Naomi Hughes: Naomi is a small-business owner, founder, and director, with experience in managing and delivering employment and business support, education, and mentoring programmes. Naomi has extensive networks in the Māori business community. 
  • Minnie Baragwanath: Minnie is a social entrepreneur, independent consultant, author, and coach who has spent much of her life advancing an accessible Aotearoa for people living with disability or access needs. She has founded and led several social change organisations. These have included accessibility entrepreneurship programs, as well as those to advance the employment of access citizens. 
  • Theresa Rongonui: Theresa is the Executive Director of Go Media NZ, and the Director of Learning and Organisation Development at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, where she contributes to work on reducing gender and ethnic pay gaps, Te Ao Māori strategy, and wāhine Māori retention. She has experience in small business, leadership, and workforce development. 
  • Nurain Janah: Nurain is a professional director, consultant, and executive coach. Nurain is Founder and Director of Rehendhi Consulting, a global social enterprise working to innovate leadership by centring collectivist cultures and indigenous knowledge. Nurain is also Founder and Trustee of Authenticity Aotearoa, an award winning New Zealand-based charity empowering women of colour to express their authentic selves and working to create inclusive workplaces. Nurain serves as Trustee of Foundation North, a philanthropic impact investment funder. 
  • Melissa Ansell-Bridges (NZCTU): Melissa is National Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. She is skilled and experienced in improving the working lives of New Zealanders, with a particular focus on workers in precarious work, women, and young people. 
  • Lyn McMorran (BusinessNZ): Lyn is Executive Director of the Financial Services Federation, the industry body representing responsible and ethical finance and leasing providers. She is President of the Australasian Society of Association Executives and a member of the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme.

NACEW's Partners

NACEW has two contributing partner organisations, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) and BusinessNZ, and ten additional partners:

Read NACEW reports

Visit our Library to find reports that NACEW were involved in producing, as well as official documents such as the Terms of Reference.