SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: We are very disappointed to announce that, due to the latest COVID-19 restrictions in across Aotearoa New Zealand, that came into effect for seven days from 6am, Sunday 28 February 2021… the 5th annual ‘Women You Can Bank On’ event in Dunedin, New Zealand is now postponed to a later date, to be confirmed.
Along with our partners at Dunedin Venues Management Ltd and Anderson Lloyd, we remain committed to staging this event with the Otago community. You can expect an announcement of a rescheduled date ASAP.
As a reminder, we will commit to the following event format once we resume:
Hon Grant Robertson, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Sport and Recreation, will join five of New Zealand’s most senior and influential sport leaders and over 320 local business and sport leaders at a unique gathering in Dunedin on Thursday, March 4th, 2021, staged in partnership between Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML) and Anderson Lloyd.
Minister Robertson will attend and give the opening address at the 5th annual ‘Women You Can Bank On’ event which, this year, will be a celebration of the ‘women in sport’ movement in New Zealand and internationally. In his role as Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hon Grant Robertson has championed the cause of women and girls in sport, making the drive for positive change in this area as his number one priority.
Timed to coincide with UN International Women’s Day and reflecting the theme “Thriving Through Change” the live, moderated conversation will feature leaders from the four major sporting events coming to Aotearoa New Zealand in the next three years:
- Farah Palmer – board member of the organising committee for Rugby World Cup 2021 and NZ Rugby board member. (event: late 2021)
- Liz Dawson, MNZM – Chair of the local organising committee for the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. (event: early 2022)
- Raewyn Lovett, ONZM – Co-Chair of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women in Sport, hosts of the 2022 IWG World Conference on Women & Sport. (event: mid 2022)
- Johanna Wood – President of New Zealand Football, representing the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. (event: 2023)
New Chief Executive of Sport New Zealand, Raelene Castle, will close the event with stories from her leadership journey. Raelene is one of Australasia’s most well-known sports administrators and was recently announced as Acting Chief Executive for High Performance Sport New Zealand from late April; notable with the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games scheduled to take place this year.
Rachel Froggatt, Chief Executive of Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA) and Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport will also support the event along with representatives from Women in Sport Otago, the local regional network.
“In March the world will mark 12 months since COVID-19 really took hold around the globe. The past year has been very challenging for the women in sport movement globally. Locally, the strength and dedication of Minister Robertson and our five featured leaders have meant we have been able to preserve momentum. We have so much to look forward to with the ‘Big Four’ coming to Aotearoa.”
Now into its 5th year, ‘Women You Can Bank On’ continues to bring together the best cross section of New Zealand leaders and thinkers in the south for a unique experience, compelling conversation and a chance to grow networks. It is a great platform to expand horizons and reset for the challenges and opportunities ahead, in sport, but also across business in the Otago region. DVML and Anderson Lloyd share a strong commitment to ensuring this annual event thrives well into the future.
Stay tuned to the WISPA social media pages from 1 March 2021 for videos, images and more!
