White Camellia
Awards 2016
We had a great event on the 19th of September and real buzz
of enthusiasm for the WEPs and the progress that is being made in workplaces.
The following press
release went out:
The New Zealand WEPs Committee announced the winners of the
White Camellia awards in Auckland tonight.
The White Camellia awards celebrate organisational commitment to
the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a UN Women and UN Global Compact initiative
which encourages gender equality in the workplace.
“Not only does it make sense to include more women in leadership
and treat them equally in the workplace, it makes economic sense because it
improves the financial bottom line,” says NZ WEPs Committee Chair, and
President BPW New Zealand, Vicky Mee.
“International research indicates it and the experience of WEPs
signatories proves it.
“The calibre of work carried out by the New Zealand signatories
to the WEPs made judging hard, however, the overall commitment of ANZ Bank to
improving gender equality in their workplace and the pragmatic approach they
are taking to empower women in their workplace put them head and shoulders
above the rest,” says judge and EEO Commissioner, Dr Jackie Blue.
“Alongside supreme winner ANZ, other categories were captured by
Westpac, BNZ and Sovereign all taking two categories each.
“It was heartening to see big improvements in best practice for
gender equality since we started these awards and we look forward to further
progress and a gender equal New Zealand workplace in the future.
“All of the entrants deserve a pat on the back for showing real
commitment to gender equality in the workplace, however, as always with these
things – there can only be one winner,” says judge and UN Women National
Committee Aotearoa New Zealand Vice President Angela McLeod.
The five organisations who make up the NZ WEPs Committee are: UN
Women National Committee Aotearoa New Zealand, NZ Federation of Business &
Professional Women, Human Rights Commission, Diversity Works NZ and Zonta
International District 16.
Principle 1: Leadership Promotes Gender
Equality WESTPAC NZ LTD
Principle 2. Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and
Non-Discrimination ANZ Bank NZ Ltd
Principle 3. Health Safety and Freedom from
Violence ANZ Bank NZ Ltd
Principle 4. Education and Training WESTPAC NZ Ltd
Principle 5. Enterprise Development, Supply
Chain and Marketing Practices SOVEREIGN
Principle 6. Community Engagement and
Leadership BNZ
Principle 7. Transparency, Measuring and
Reporting SOVEREIGN
SUPREME WINNER: ANZ Bank NZ Ltd
