Our Mission
Our Values
Pacific Women's Watch (New Zealand)’s overarching aim is to monitor, review and report on the status of women in New Zealand. In particular, we are unique in representing women across the diversity of cultures making New Zealand their home but who suffer social or economic disadvantage or any kind of marginalisation, and struggle to have their voices heard.
All women have the right to live in a peaceful environment and to be equal partners in all areas of the community. Pacific Women’s Watch (NZ) is committed to recognising the universality of human rights as women’s rights, forging new thresholds of gender equality, celebrating diversity and building peace through justice
Our Objectives
To ensure women’s voices from the sub-region and especially New Zealand are heard internationally
To be a communication link between New Zealand non-governmental women, the sub-region and internationally
To monitor the Beijing Platform for Action and any subsequent plans of action for the advancement of women
To share strategies to measure and assess changes in women’s status
To recognise views and expectations of Tangata Whenua
Our History
Pacific Women’s Watch (NZ) was established in 2001 to be a link to the Asia Pacific Women’s Watch, the umbrella Watch which monitors, review and reports on the status of women in the Asia-Pacific Region. Under its special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) PWW(NZ) is mandated to make the voices of women in Pacific states heard more loudly at the international level.
One of our Patrons, Jane Prichard QSO is the early visionary who established the organisation under the principles of partnership premised under the Treaty of Waitangi. Jane has championed the importance of CEDAW for many decades in Aotearoa New Zealand and in our Pacific region. Jane has been honoured by the Queen as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to women particularly via the Pacific Women’s Watch New Zealand and its work via the United Nations.
