12 February 2012
Women’s Empowerment Principles: Equality means Business
What does The Warehouse have in common with Z Energy, Westpac, Skycity Entertainment, Price Waterhouse Coopers,
Vodafone, Alcatel-Lucent and Heidrick and Struggles?
Chief Executives of these eight New Zealand companies have signed up as business leaders to support the Women’s
Empowerment Principles and to advance gender equality.
The Principles will be launched formally in New Zealand at a function at Government House on 13 February and the eight
New Zealand Chief Executives join over 150 top business leaders worldwide who have signed the Principles. Some of the
New Zealand companies are part of multinationals and others are local big businesses.
The eight chief executives will receive certificates from the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lt Gen the Rt Hon Sir
Jerry Mateparae.
They have expressed support for advancing gender equality by:
• Bringing the broadest pool of talent to their businesses,
• Furthering their companies’ competitiveness
• Meeting their corporate responsibility and sustainability commitments
• Modelling behaviour within their companies that reflects the society they would like for their employees, fellow
citizens and families
• Encouraging economic and social conditions that provide opportunities for women and men, girls and boys; and
• Fostering sustainable development in the countries in which they live.
• They also commit to encouraging other business leaders to sign up and to use the Principles as guidance in the
workplace. Heidrick and Struggles have also sponsored the launch function.
The Principles have been developed by UN Women Headquarters in New York and the United Nations Global Compact, which has
been concerned internationally with promoting human rights and business.
The New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women and the NZ Human Rights Commission are working with the NZ
National Committee of UN Women to promote the Principles to businesses in New Zealand.
Rae Julian
National President
UN Women National Committee for Aotearoa New Zealand
ENDS