IWD Giving sees fundraising event support women's economic independence in New Zealand

IWD GIVING saw survey, engineering and planning consultancy Eliot Sinclair, based in Christchurch, New Zealand, help raise an impressive NZD $1,000 in donations for local charity Dress for Success.

The consultancy firm hosted an International Women’s Day (IWD) event that buzzed with networking and conversation between leading local women. Focused on connection, inspiration, and giving back, the event saw proceeds from ticket sales donated to Dress for Success to help local women build confidence, gain employment, and achieve financial independence. 

Donating clothes to Dress for Success

Attendees were encouraged to bring along good-quality, work-appropriate clothing on the night to support Dress for Success, particularly handbags, winter boots, and winter coats. Everyone who purchased a ticket was also automatically entered into a special prize draw to win a pedicure for two and high tea, supplied by event sponsors Moss Spa Christchurch.

Dress for Success Christchurch provides women in need within the community with the guidance, support, tools, and confidence, to shape their own financial futures. The mission of Dress for Success is to help unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence by providing no-fee programs, development tools and professional attire to thrive in work and in life.

“What a fantastic afternoon celebrating International Women’s Day. We were blown away with the level of support we received, from the community of women and men in the room, to the generosity of your donations. With your support we raised just over $1,000 for Dress for Success Christchurch and needed two trips to drop off all the clothing donations. Thank you, we truly couldn't have done it without your support,” said Eliot Sinclair following the event.

Hearing from inspirational local women

Attendees enjoyed inspirational talks from local women leading in various industries over drinks and canapés supplied by The Cocktail People. 

Business Canterbury Chief Executive Officer Leeann Watson and Franklyn Village Owner Liz Harris shared their journeys to success and the importance of empowering others. Attendees also had an opportunity to engage directly with the speakers by asking questions in a lively Q&A session.

"It was inspiring to hear from influential Christchurch women in business from such different backgrounds, career paths, and stages in their careers about their journeys of how they've got to where they are today, and the impact of self-belief, supporting each other and giving back,” commented attendee Amy Schutte, a Content Strategist & Social Specialist at Zib Digital.

Further speakers included Te Whatu Ora Health NZ Manager Jane Bryden, and Eliot Sinclair Structural Engineer Amy Kibblewhite.

Amy shared her experiences as a woman working in a traditionally male dominated industry, her observations on the current state of play of women in the industry, and her advice to others who are starting their careers. During her talk, Amy pointed out that, while she is still at the start of her career in engineering, she realises the amount of work that still needs to be done to create a more diverse workforce within the construction industry.

Amy plays an active role in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and spoke of the important work this organisation and others like it are doing to support women to not only enter the trades, but to thrive.

“The construction industry has made positive progress in the last decade to normalising women in our industry and diversifying our workforce however, women in trades presently only make up 3.8% of the industry, and 15.8% in the professional sphere. Personally, my vision for the future does not look like an equal gender split, but to quote a good friend, Mel Wright, it would be great to see women of all ages, at all levels, across all sectors of our industry to support our current workforce and provide encouragement for the next generation coming through,” said Amy, reflecting on the event.

“Today there are fantastic initiatives and organisations like, The Wonder Project, BuildHers, Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), Girls with HI-VIS and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), just to name a few. These teams are a fantastic support network for those of us in the industry currently, and they are doing extremely important work opening doors and sparking interest in STEM subjects and careers in construction among our youth. This mahi is critical and fundamental to increasing the likelihood of diversity of our future industry. At the end of the day, we are all whānau, so treat others how you’d like to be treated, and let’s continue to work towards utilising the skills and strengths of everyone, regardless of gender, to accelerate the development and success of our industry,” added Amy.

Support the supporters for IWD and beyond

A donation to Dress for Success Christchurch helps provide services that inspire women to take charge of their lives.