The Zonta Heartbeat – January 2024

Zonta International Convention, Brisbane, Australia, June 2024.

It’s all GO! Registration is OPEN NOW!

Why should you go? If you’ve not experienced an actual Zonta International, World Convention, this one is going to be the best-priced and closest to home that you will probably get the chance to attend. It will be wonderful to support our Australian Zonta friends also, by attending this incredible event. If you attended our Conference last year in Christchurch, then you will have had a small taste of the experience awaiting you in Brisbane, with members from all around the world, and over 2000 attendees expected. 

You’ll have the opportunity to make wonderful lifetime connections and friendships and you will see, on an international scale, the achievements we make through your hard work and contributions to the Zonta International Foundation from you personally and through your clubs in D16. You get a really wonderful view of all we do.

You will learn all about our International Projects, Award Recipients and our continued Strategic Plan, as it is being rolled out. We will also be discussing the voting and business side of Zonta, this may not sound appealing, but it is very interesting to watch and participate in if you are a delegate for your Club. You get to choose workshops that are of interest to you too. 

Experience the countries represented in their fine National Costumes, and the flag ceremony – the buzz in the air should be enough to tease you to want to be involved if you are still thinking about it.  We are truly excited that so many of you are going. 

Huge congratulations to Sarina Todd, the District 16 recipient of the Zonta International Women in STEM scholarship!

When you read her bio below you will be blown away by the force that she is for women (young and old) in STEM. Sarina is entering her honours year of a Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Hons) at the University of Auckland and is passionate about encouraging and supporting young women and gender-diverse individuals to pursue a career in STEM.

As the co-founder/director of Women in STEM NZ, Sarina aims to inspire girls by showcasing incredible women role models. Leading outreach visits and STEM workshops, she seeks to foster a passion for these disciplines in the youth of her community and country.

For the past three years, Sarina has been involved in organising Enginuity Day, an event showcasing the wonders of engineering. Her commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and inclusivity extends to her role as Chair of the STEM Workshop Committee for the IEEE WIE International Leadership Summit 2023.
Within the University of Auckland, Sarina is the Vice-President of the Mechanical and Mechatronics Student Association (MECHA), Chair of Finance and Operations for the Women in Engineering Network (WEN), and Women’s Representative for the Faculty of Engineering. She is the recipient of the 2023 Major Blues Award for Outstanding Contribution to Service and Leadership, the AIMES Emerging Talent Award for Innovation, and is a graduate of the Dean’s Leadership Programme.

Sarina was selected as one of 150 young leaders from around the world to attend UNITE 2030, a leadership programme in New York, under full sponsorship from her faculty and department. Aspiring to become a leader in the industry, Sarina is resolute in her commitment to championing equity in STEM. The Zonta International Women in Technology Scholarships encourage women to pursue education, career opportunities and leadership roles in information technology. The Women in STEM recipients receive an international scholarship of US$5,000 from Zonta International.

Congratulations Sarina from all of us in D16.

Memberships

This is one area where we really need to keep focused in 2024.

So thank you to those who are bringing guests along, for as long as I can remember from when I was an Area 3 director, Lt Governor and now Governor it is a constant reminder that this subject needs all our full attention. For us all to continue the amazing work we are doing for others into the future, we clearly need membership to do this…  membership is the lifeline to Zonta into the future. We can be very proud to hold our numbers in D16 this Biennium, however like me, I am sure you want to keep growing our fabulous organisation. To achieve this, we need a couple of tools in our toolkits. 

1. ENJOY yourself

I am a firm believer in, “if you are having a fun, meaningful time, others will want to come, and the other big thing to remember is to… “keep” INVITING Friends. You’ll know the ones deep down, that have the same values as you, who want this world to be a Better World for Women and Girls… You’ll be surprised how many are waiting for you to ask them. Perhaps you did years ago, yet it’s all about timing. Sometimes, Zonta is one of those groups people feel they have to be invited to. And are nervous to ask to come along. Remember how nervous you were when you first visited? Having a buddy support so it’s not just you looking after them. As you may have roles to fill that evening that they could be sitting alone. Always great to pair them up. 

2. Bring a visitor

If we can all bring 2-3+ visitors a year, that’s 1000 – 1500 visitors in D16. If only 10% stay then we have succeeded in growing our membership again. So don’t get afraid of numbers, it’s quite doable. Members do leave for various reasons, so therefore it is always important to bring visitors constantly. What about a new Club? Do you have friends in an area where there is no Zonta Club?

New Clubs

We are still keen to get an e-Club off the ground. Or perhaps a new club in an area where there is no Zonta. West Coast of the South Island, Queenstown, Nelson, Martinborough, New Plymouth. New Clubs from all around the world. Just think, that is how Whakatane and Invercargill Clubs started, by someone like you, so please do talk to Lt Governor Jen McKinlay-Birkin or myself or your very own Area Director, as we’d love to talk about this further. 

You may recall that when I became Governor I mentioned the “Mexican Wave” of Zonta, this is where President Ute, wishes us to concentrate on two times during the year, one in Nov/Dec for ZSN (Zonta Says No!) Campaign for 16 days of Activism to gender-based violence. 

The other is for International Women’s Day, or Rose Day as we often call it in Zonta. This is a chance to Thank MANY in your community, someone who is definitely making it a Better World for Women and Girls.

Think about the Guest Speakers you’ve had throughout the last year, perhaps they are worthy, some standout members in your Club even who go above and beyond in their roles. Perhaps it is a friend. I know many clubs recognise these remarkable women and men in society who really are making a difference, by presenting them with a Rose. Does your club do this? If so take photos, and send them to us for our D16 Facebook page (with a caption please).

And THANK YOU to you all who hold events for IWD, to make this auspicious occasion. If you can’t do something on March 8th IWD, then do something throughout the month of March. Just remember it is the people, the people, the people, te iwi that make this such a special time to celebrate all we do for each other. 

Striving for Equity in International Business

On January 8, my company, Pinnacle&Co. hosted 30 students and 4 faculty from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, where they are studying “Striving for Equity in International Business”.

They were in NZ visiting businesses and universities in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. I spoke to them about my experiences during my 26 years in business, hopefully helping them on their journey to be the best in their future world to treat their colleagues equally and respectfully, and what Zonta International and Zonta District 16’s gender equity/equality, projects and scholarships do for so many in our world. It was a true honour to speak and to be chosen for them to visit. And so wonderful that there are Universities teaching such things as Gender Equity in Businesses. Well done USA! 

We also had the lovely Suzanne McNabb from UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand, speak on the 7 WEP’s Principles in the workplace, for which I am on the committee while I am Governor. Let us know if you would like to know more about this too. 

After our meet-up, they were heading off to Terrace Edge Wines Vineyard which produces a range of wines called ‘27 Seconds’ of which they donate 100% of the profits to ‘Hagar’. to hear their story. Hagar is an NGO focused on the huge challenges facing women and children in Cambodia and Vietnam who have survived slavery, trafficking and/or other forms of severe abuse, and to date have raised over $200,000. You may remember they spoke at Zonta Area 3’s 100th-year celebration in 2019 at the Transition Cathedral.