New Horizons for Women Trust
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New Horizons for Women: Hine Kahukura is a nationwide charitable trust. Their purpose is to support education, innovation and research that benefits women. They do this through an annual grants award programme for women in Aotearoa New Zealand.
BPW NZ President Janet Gibb has just been appointed as a trustee. BPW was one of the original participants in exploring the idea of funding awards for ‘second chance’ education. BPW NZ used to have representation on this trust as a trustee. When an opportunity arose to reconnect in the same way with New Horizons for Women, President Janet was among several applicants to be considered. Two were chosen. The other successful applicant is Jenni Hohepa-Tupu – a returning trustee.
Here is some of that history:
New Horizons for Women: Hine Kahukura developed as a woven braid with formative strands emerging from the 1975 United Women’s convention, the Society for Research on Women (SROW), and the Business and Professional Women Wellington (BPW).
Some convenors from 1975's Convention Celebration Organising Group explored the idea of funding awards for 'second chance' education. Also at this time, SROW prepared a proposal for the continuation of research that was of benefit to women. An idea took shape of an organisation to support New Zealand women in their tertiary studies.
After Rita King MBE died on 01 October 1988, the Business and Professional Women Wellington (BPW) wanted to honour her memory through second chance education scholarships. Rita was a passionate advocate for equal pay and work opportunities for women.
These strands came together in January 1990, when Hon. Margaret Shields (connected with the 1975 UN Convention group and SROW) wrote to BPW Wellington suggesting that the interests of all three groups be aligned. Later that year at the 15th anniversary celebration of the 1975 Women’s Convention, Margaret Shields and Judith Aitken (then Chief Executive of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs) suggested the idea of successful women supporting women who had not been able to realise their further education and employment goals. The New Horizons for Women Trust: Hine Kahukura was born.