Since 2021 the ANZ Bank has invested in research that exposes gender inequality in the workplace - specifically affecting Māori, Pasifika and Asian women.
The bank claims that eliminating discrimination against female workers can boost productivity by up to 40 percent.
Today ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson, joined some Black Ferns to share the bank's research report with McAuley High School students in Tāmaki Makaurau
“Tākiri-ā-rangi is our Te Ao Māori strategy so it’s the first long-term strategy that we’ve ever done at ANZ, it’s out in 2040 so, 200 years since the signing of the Treaty," Watson says. "It’s about staff, it’s about customers, it’s about how we can support the Māori economy to be everything that it can be to support their people."
Watson is aware this is an unexpected initiative for a bank to take but she also wants to be a role model for those who aspire to be in leadership positions.
“Some of the things that I found disturbing, and probably unfortunately not surprising were women saying that they were experiencing racism in the workplace.”
“It’s an interesting dynamic I think that there were definitely women who said, work isn’t the first most important thing for me. My family will always come first and work is just something to get me to that stage and for me as a leader in business, that means we have to help women figure out how they can do both really easily and that’s something we’ve been on a big journey on over the last few years.”
Correcting workplace inequity
The report makes nine recommendations to correct workplace inequity including cost of living support and exposure to mentors and role models. Watson says the bank is also ready to invest in the changes.
“Very much about making sure we have wider representation in the leadership and across our bank so we’re absolutely prepared to put financial support behind it and whatever form that takes.”
Silver Ferns Maia Wilson, Elle Temu and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan were there to support the message that if you can see it, you can be it.
“For us it's showing our rangatahi how awesome it is to be of whatever ethnic background, to be Māori, to be Pasifika and that’s the superpower that we have,” Wilson says.
"I guess in a netball instance, I've been critiqued on my body so much but for me, my tinana (body) is from my tupuna (ancestors) and how I can use that to be different, to be out of the box, to be me and that's what we're trying to do here today."
