ANZ New Zealand CEO Antonia Watson
New Zealand women continue to achieve success in all fields – from business to arts to science to sport. It’s time for all New Zealanders to feel it’s no longer unusual for a woman to succeed in any way she chooses – and be championed doing so. This is the new normal and it’s good for all of us.
It’s been said that celebrating another person’s success will never rob you of your own. If we want to accelerate change, we need to celebrate achievements, shine a light on positivity and tell these stories – often, loudly and proudly.
ANZ is committed to helping New Zealanders get ahead in their lives through our vision to help shape a world where people and communities thrive. For women, getting to the starting blocks and showing up, let alone reaching great heights, can represent a ‘win’. Research tells us confidence, fear of failure and fear of judgement stop women holding space in sport, but it’s not a stretch to think these limitations hold many women back across the board.
There’s a huge amount of work to be done to find ways that enable, empower and encourage women to fulfil their professional or personal aspirations and dreams, which uplifts us all, socially and economically. But, until now, we haven’t had much New Zealand-based research that delves into some of the solutions to the common barriers to success cited by women.
As a long-time supporter of women in sport, including our recent announcement as a sponsor of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, we’ve undertaken a significant piece of research into barriers to women’s participation.
The research findings in this report, show clearly if we can all ‘watch women win’, the flow on effect has the potential to inspire participation and achievement across sporting, social and business endeavours, not to mention a shift in overall wellbeing, something we have also committed to as an organisation – whether financial, physical or mental.
I firmly believe that this isn’t about women supporting women; this is about all New Zealanders acknowledging the need for practical solutions to help lift women up by encouraging and empowering them to strive and win in all aspects of life.
E ai ki ngā korero, e kore te whakanui i tā tētahi angitu e pāhua i tāu ake. Pēnā e pīrangi ana tātou ki horo te panonitanga, me whakanui tātou i te angitu, me whakanui i te ngākaupai, me kōrero i ēnei kōrero – kia auau ake, kia hoihoi ake, kia mana ake.
E ū ana a ANZ ki te āwhina i a ngāi Aotearoa ki te anga whakamua i ō rātou ao mā tō mātou whāinga kia hanga i tētahi ao e taurikura ai ngā tāngata me ngā hapori. Me he wāhine, ko te eke ki te tīmatanga me te tau mai, waihoki te tae ki ngā taumata tiketike, he tohu o te ‘toa’.
Hei tā te rangahau he mea aukati te māia, me te mataku ki te rarahutanga me te whakawā, ki tā te wahine whai mahi ki ngā hākinakina, engari ehara i te whakaaro pōrangi kia whakapae kua tokomaha kē atu ngā wāhine e mau nei i ēnei here.
He nui ngā mahi e whai ai i ngā huarahi e whaiwāhi ai, e whakamana ai, e akiaki ai hoki i ngā wāhine ki te whakatutuki i o rātou wawata me ō rātou moemoeā, ngaio mai, matawhaiaro mai, e hikitia nei tātou katoa, ā-iwi, ā-ohaoha hoki. Heoti, ā mohoa nei, kua kore he tino rangahau ā-Aotearoa e ruku ana ki ētahi o ngā whakautu ki ngā ārai auau e ora nei ki te ao wāhine.
Nā tā mātou tautoko i ngā wāhine i te ao hākinakina, tae rā anō ki tā mātou pāpāho inā tata nei kia noho hei kaitautoko mō te ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, kua mahia tētahi rangahau rahi e mātou e aukati ai i ngā ārai ki te ao hākinakina o ngā wāhine.
Ko ngā hua rangahau i tēnei pūrongo e whakaatu mārama nei, pēnā e oti i a tātou te ‘mātaki i ngā wāhine e toa ana’, he tūpono tō te rerenga tonutanga kia whakahihiri i te whaiwāhi me nga angitu puta noa i ngā mahi ā-hākinakina, ā-hapori, ā-pakihi hoki, me te aha hoki, ka ora pai te hauora; ka mutu, he mea ēnā kua ū pai mātou nei – ā-pūtea mai, ā-tinana mai, ā-hinengaro mai rānei.
White Ferns, from left, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, and Suzie Bates.
The findings of this report show a need for companies of all shapes and sizes to step up. Employers have an opportunity to use their influence and leadership to celebrate and champion our Kiwi women in all fields, and our research respondents told us mentors and role models play a big part in the lives of our wāhine toa.
By ‘watching women win’ we can shine a light on and celebrate achievements experienced by women – from the top sporting echelons of the Olympics and Paralympics, to women who are winning everyday by making it to the gym, pursuing their side hustle, or returning to study to improve their whānau’s future. By doing this, by having an action-orientated approach applied to everything we do, we can all make a difference to this generation of New Zealanders, and those to come.
On a personal level, working within the ANZ team has meant I’ve been inspired through the hard work of others over some incredibly challenging years. Their dedication to looking after our people and communities has made me a better leader.
I’ve been supported by key people in my career and my journey to take on my first CEO role: my husband unwaveringly supports my dreams, offers me a safe place to download, keeps me grounded and gives me perspective; my mother still inspires me as one of only a handful of women to be admitted to the High Court in the 1960s; my colleagues who champion my successes and encouraged me to put my hand up – sometimes even putting my hand up for me.
As a member of Global Women, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a bevy of supportive, inspirational and like-minded women, who have shared failures, lessons and successes to help me overcome my many doubts.
This research shows that fly-by-night campaigns to tell people off or highlight past injustices, pitching men against women isn’t the answer. Instead, celebrating girls and women in their daily successes and wins is a better approach.
As one of the country’s largest employers, we’re committed to help create change and make a difference for the next generation of New Zealanders.
At the centre of the research findings is the idea that visibility is important: “If you can see it, you can be it”.
We need to be optimistic and celebratory in our encouragement. The manifesto in this report sets out how we plan to make this our new normal.
I encourage you to join us in standing beside the girls and women in our lives and champion them daily in big and small ways – whether it’s a gentle encouraging hand on their back to guide them forward into a new opportunity, enabling them to give sport or other activities a go, or being their biggest fan cheering from the side line.
I’m excited to ‘watch women win’ through the many examples we’ll share and enable over the months to come.
E whakapono ana au ehara noa tēnei i te tautoko i ngā wāhine; tōna tikanga kē e whakamanahia ana e ngāi Aotearoa te matenga ki ngā whakautu tūturu e hiki ai i ngā wāhine mā te akiaki me te whakamana i a rātou kia okea urutoatia.
He mea whakaatu ēnei hua o te rangahau i tā ngā pakihi, ahakoa te rahi, eke ki tēnei taumata. E whaiwāhi ana ngā kaiwhakawhiwhi mahi ki te whakamahi i ā rātou mana whakaaweawe, mana ārahi hoki kia whakanui, kia whakaihuwaka hoki i ō tātou wāhine ki ngā kaupapa katia, ā, hei tā ngā kaiurupare uiuinga, he wāhi nui tō ngā kaitautoko me ngā tauira ki ngā ao o ō tātou wāhine toa.
Mā te ‘mātaki i ngā wāhine e toa ana’, e oti i a mātou te whakanui i ngā whakaihuwaka ā ngā wāhine – mai i te ao hākinakinga i ngā Taumāhekeheke o te Ao, me ngā Taumāhekeheke Whaikaha, ki ngā wāhine e toa ai rangi mai, rangi atu, mā te toro ki te whare kori tinana, te whai i tōna ake ara, te waihape ki te akoranga e pai ake ai te anamata o tōna whānau.
Mā tēnei, mā te anga hohe atu ki ā tātou mahinga katoa, e oti pai i a mātou te whaiwāhi ki ngā panonitanga o tēnei whakareanga o ngāi Aotearoa, me ērā anō hei te tau tītoki.
Hei mea hanga matawhaiaro nei, nā taku mahi tahi ki ANZ, kua whakaaweawe au i te whakapau kaha a ērā atu i ngā tau taumaha nei. He kaha nō rātou ki te tiaki i ō tātou tāngata, hapori hoki, kua rangatira ake au.
Kua tautokona au e ngā tāngata matua i taku umanga me taku haerenga ki te kawe i taku tūnga Raukura tuatahi: e kaha tautoko ana tōku hoa rangatira i ōku moemoeā, ka whakawātea mai tētahi wāhi haumaru e whakangā ai, ka whakatau i te mauri; e whakaaweawe tonu mai ana tōku whaea hei wahine tokoiti nei kua whakauru mai ki te Kōti Matua i te ngahurutau 1960; e whakaaweawe ana au i ōku hoamahi e mate ururoa ana, e akiaki ana i ahau kia whakatū i tōku ringa - ka whakatūria tōku ringa e rātou i ētahi wā.
Hei mema o Global Women, mokori ai i te tokomaha wāhine e hora ana e tautoko nei, e whakaaweawe nei, e wairua pai nei, kua tuari tahi i te rarahu, ngā akoranga, me ngā angitu e patua ai ōku āwangawanga.
Ko tā tēnei rangahau he whakaatu i te painga kore o ngā kaupapa e kohete nei i te tangata, te whakanui ana ana i ngā hapa o muri, me te whakataurite i te tāne ki te wahine.
Engari kē ia, ko te painga atu ki te whakanui i ngā kōtiro me ngā wāhine i ā rātou angitu, me ngā toa o ia rā.
Me ko mātou tētahi o ngā kaiwhakawhiwhi mahi rahi rawa i te motu, e ū ana mātou ki te panonitanga pai ki ngā uri kei te heke mai.
Kei te pokapū o ngā kitenga rangahau ko te whakaaro he mea nui te tirohanga: “Pēnā ka kitea e koe, e oti i a koe”.
Me whai whakaaro nui tātou, me whakanui hoki hei ā tātou akiaki. Ko te whāinga o tēnei pūrongo e whakaatu ana i tā tātou mahere e māori ai tēnei.
E akiaki ana ahau kia uru mai koe ki te tū tahi me ngā kōtiro, me ngā wahine, i ō tātou ao, kia whakanui ai i a rātou ahakoa nui mai, ahakoa iti mai - ahakoa he ringa whakatenatena ngāwari ki te tuarā e ārahi ai i a ia ki tētahi huarahi hōu, e oti ai i a ia te whai i tētahi hākinakina, i tētahi atu mahi rānei, e whakanui ai rānei ia e koe.
E hiamo ana au ki te ‘mātaki i ngā wāhine e toa ana’ mā ngā tini tauira ka tuarihia e mātou hei ngā mārama e kainamu ana.
We are living in times of great uncertainty.
Injustices that have existed for hundreds of years are no longer acceptable to a new generation of
New Zealanders.
High on that list is gender inequality.
Great progress has been made, but it remains measurably more difficult for a woman to pursue her goals and be equally rewarded for achieving them.
This inequality still exists in our homes, our workplaces, our boardrooms and on our sports fields.
We can continue to raise awareness of this problem; complain, debate, criticise and accuse. And there’s a role for that.
But we need to team that up with another approach.
Thousands of New Zealand women – a rapidly growing number – have now overcome the odds and achieved great success in all fields; from business to the arts to science to music to politics to sports.
It’s time for all New Zealanders to feel that it’s no longer unusual for a woman to succeed in any way she chooses and to achieve exceptional success.
This is the new normal and it’s good for all of us.
If we want to accelerate change, we need to celebrate these successes and tell these stories – more often, more loudly and more proudly.
Let’s provide more female role models for all young New Zealand women, so that aspirations remain unlimited and barriers unacceptable.
We can all do that. As organisations and as individuals.
Instead of asking ‘Where are the women?’, it’s time to declare ‘Here are the women’.
Celebrate them. Support them.
Watch women win.
E ora nei tātou ki te ao ngākaurua.
E kore e whaiwāhi ngā hauata kua ora mai ai nei e hia kē nei nga rautau ki tētahi whakareanga hōu ki Aotearoa.
Kei mua tonu i te aroaro ko te tauritenga kore ā-ira.
Kua nui ngā te kokenga whakamua, heoti e tārake ana te kite he mea tino taumaha tā te wahine whai i ōna whāinga me te whai hua taurite.
E noho tonu mai nā ēnei āhuatanga ki ō tātou kāinga, wāhin mahi, rūma hui, me ngā papa tākaro.
E oti i tātou te hapahapai tonu i te aroā ki tēnei raru; me amu, me tohe, me whiu. Ka mutu, he tūranga mō tēnā.
Engaru me whakahoa tātou i tēnā ki tētahi atu anganga.
He manomano ngā wāhine ngāi Aotearoa - kei te tupu tonu tēnā tokomaha - kua patua ngā taumahatanga e angitu ai ki ngā tini kaupapa; mai i te pakihi ki ngā toi, ki te pūtaiao, ki te puoro, ki ngā tōrangapū, ki ngā hākinakina.
Kua tae te wā kia kaua a ngāi Aotearoa e tiro makutu ai ki te angitu a te wahine ahakoa tōna huarahi - ka mutu, me whakanui i tērā. He āhuatanga māori hōu tēnei, e pai ana mō te katoa Pēnā e hiahia ana tātou ki ngā panonitanga, me whakanui i ēnei angitu me ēnei kōrero – kia auau ake, kia hoihoi ake, kia mana ake.
Me tokomaha ngā tauira wāhine ki te hunga wāhine rangatahi i Aotearoa, e mutunga kore ai ngā wawata, e kore ai e whakaaetia ngā ārai.
E oti i a tātou katoa tēnā. Hei umanga, hei tangata takitahi.
Waiho i tē pātai, ‘Kei hea ngā wāhine?’, me tauākī kē, ‘Anei ngā wāhine’.
Whakanuia rātou. Tautokona rātou.
Mātakina ngā wāhine e toa ana.
The research forming the basis of this report was designed to delve deeper into the reasons women drop out of pursuing specific goals in sport, but the same principles extend to other aspects of life; from career, to personal or professional development, and even hobbies.
We know that a lack of confidence, fear of judgement and a fear of failure are the primary inhibitors for many women.
To date, these elements have been perpetuated by a competitive environment where women are often pitted against each other, and against men, or conditioned to play down their achievements and be humble among a ‘tall poppy’ mentality, rather than be acknowledged, celebrated and encouraged by others or share their wins proudly.
The findings in this report show four emergent themes when we look at the challenges and inhibitors, the motivators for success, and what can be harnessed to drive women towards greater achievement:
Our insights show women are more likely (than men) to experience self-doubt in three of the four areas studied (work, social settings and schooling). However, things are more even on the playing field, with sport proving an equaliser for self-doubt across both genders.
When age is a factor, millennials are more likely across both genders to experience feelings of self-doubt, and embarrassment is significantly more of a deterrent to participation for this group than others.
I whakahoahoatia te rangahau e tūāpapa nei e ruku hōhonu ai ki ngā take e hinga nei ngā wāhine i ngā whāinga tautohu i te hākinakina, heoti e tae rā anō ēnei take ki kaupapa kē atu hoki; mai i te umanga, ki te matawhaiarotanga, ki te whanaketanga ngaio, ki ngā runaruna anō hoki.
E mōhio pai ana mātou, ko te korenga o te māiatanga, me te mataku i te whakawā, ētahi o ngā tino ārai e hinga nei te wāhine. Ā mohoa nei, kua ora pai ēnei āhuatanga i ngā momo taiao whakataetae e pakanga ai ngā wāhine ki a rātou anō, ki ngā tāne hoki, i te whakaiti rānei i ā rātou toa, me te kī kia hūmārie, kaua kē kia whakanuia, kia ākina e ētahi atu, kia kau rānei e poho kūkupa.
E whā ngā tāhū e kaha kitea nei i te pūrongo pēnā tiro atu mātou ki ngā wero me ngā ārai, ngā mea e whakahihiko nei i te angitu, me ērā e oti te kapohia e toro ai te wāhine ki te angitu.
Hei tā te tirohanga ake, e tūpono ake ana tā te wāhine (i tā te tāne) whaiwāhi ki te kumukumu i ngā wāhi e toru o ngā wāhi e whā i rangahaua (te mahi, ngā wā pāpori, me te kura). Heoti, e taurite ake ana ngā mea i te papa tākaro, ka mutu, he mea taurite te kumukumu ki ngā ira e rua i te papa tākaro.
Ina ko te kaumātuatanga tētahi āhuatanga, e tūpono ake tō te rangatahi whai kumukumu ngā ira e rua, ka mutu, ko tētahi o ngā tino ārai ki te hohenga i tēnei hunga ko te whakamā.
Q. People can have moments of self-doubt despite education, experience and accomplishments. Have you ever felt doubt in your ability in the following settings?
Women were much more likely to have experienced self-doubt in social settings, work, and education.
SUPPORT
A strong support system, encouragement and hard work are the top three reasons participants gave for their successes and achievements across the board, with natural ability not making the top three. Women consistently rated the importance of a support system, encouragement and hard work as crucial to success.
Family and friends top the list for those women we look to for inspiration; helping them deal with challenges and providing motivation and support. Women feel able to thrive when they feel looked after and their needs are put first. They look to supportive role models they can relate to and see as showing their own tenacity and resilience to overcome adversity, to remain positive and contribute to a sense of community.
INSPIRATION TO BUILD CONFIDENCE
In a similar way, the workplace is an important source of inspiration for a quarter of women. A boss (past or present) or other leading figure who is considered to ‘walk the talk’, shows an affinity for people and demonstrates care. Those most valuable in encouraging success are those displaying a positive attitude, while remaining true to self and supporting diversity.
RECOGNITION
When asked if women received the same amount of recognition as men for success, men were fairly evenly split between saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’, whereas two thirds of women disagreed.
Around two thirds (64%) of women don’t feel that successful women receive as much recognition as men. Survey respondents felt women were lacking in opportunities in each area prompted on – life in general, work, and sport. Only 40% of all those surveyed felt women received the same opportunities as men in life, and only a third of respondents felt successful women received the same recognition as successful men.
TE TAUTOKO
Ko ngā tino ara e toru ki te angitu whānui, hei tā ngā kaiuru, ko te kaha tautoko, te whakatenatena me te upoko pakaru, heoti e kore te āheinga māori e noho mai nā i ērā tino ara. Tautohua ai te hirahira o te kaha tautoko, te whakatenatena me te upoko pakaru e ngā wāhine hei ara waiwai ki te angitu.
Kei runga rawa atu ko te whānau me ngā hoa mō te whakaaweawe; e āwhinatia ana tātou e patua ai ngā wero, e whāia ai hoki te whakahihikotanga me te tautoko e tātou. E oti i ngā wāhine te taurikura ina e rongo ana i te manaakitanga, ina whakaarohia rātou hoki. Tiro atu ana rātou ki ngā tauira e hāngai ana ki a rātou anō, e whakaatu ana i ngā āhuatanga ōrite, me te aumangea hoki, e noho ngākaupai ai, e whakarato atu ki te kotahitanga ā-hapori.
TE WHAKAHIHIKO KIA MĀIA AKE
Waihoki, he wāhi whakahihiko te wāhi mahi ki te hauwhā o ngā wāhine. Ki tā te tangata titiro, he tohu manaakitanga te rangatira (o mua, o nāianei rānei) e whakatinana nei i te kīanga ‘hōhonu kakī’. Ko ngā tino mō te whakatenatena i te angitu ko ērā e ngākaupai ana, e whakapono tonu ana ki a rātou anō, e whakanui ana hoki i te kanorau.
TE WHAKAMANA
Ina uia pēnā rānei ka ōrite te whakamana i te angitu ki te wāhine, hei tā te tāne, he ōrite ngā whakautu ‘āe’ me te ‘kāo’, heoti i whakahēngia tērā e te rua-hautoru o ngā wāhine.
Hei tā te takiwā o te rua-hautoru (64%) o ngā wāhine, kāore te whakamana ōrite e riro i te wāhine, i tā te tāne riro ai. E ai ki ngā kaiwhakautu uiuinga, kua kore e rawaka ngā whaiwāhitanga a te wāhine ki ia o ngā kaupapa i uiuia – te ao whānui, te mahi, me te hākinakina. E ai ki te 40% noa o ngā tāngata i uiuia , he ōrite ngā whaiwāhitanga a ngā wāhine i ā te tāne, ka mutu, e ai ki te kotahi-hautoru anahe o ngā kaiwhakautu, he ōrite te whakamana a te wāhine i tā te tāne.
EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Two out of three (66%) men feel women have equal opportunities vs 44% of women, while ensuring fair pay policies are in place was agreed by almost three quarters as a way to support women reach their goals. The top three solutions companies and leaders could implement to empower women are:
1. Pay females equally for similar work
2. Provide training courses for females to accelerate development
3. Celebrate female successes in a public and formal way.
What is evident across the results is that regardless of the area of life where achievement is desired, a sense of support, having a strong motivation and inspirational role models, along with encouragement, are vital elements for women to thrive. The following pages of this report examine this in more detail when the research is applied to women in sport.
Ultimately, we’re talking about shifting societal norms and normalising women succeeding – and more importantly, feeling successful – in any way they choose. This type of shift takes time, but we’re seeing it happening and it gives us great optimism and continued impetus for the future.
The research highlights key initiatives that respondents believe will make the most difference to continue to help women win. It provides direction for us and others to adopt that will continue the momentum to effect greater change:
TE TAURITE I TE WĀHI MAHI
Ki te horopaki o te whaiwāhitanga taurite, hei tā te nuinga o ngā tāne (52%) he ōrite ngā whaiwāhitanga a te wāhine ki tā te tāne, heoti, e pērā kē ana hei tā te 29% o ngā wāhine. Heoti, he tā te toru-hauwhā o ngā kaiwhakautu, ko te whāinga e puāwai ai te wāhine i te umanga ko te pūtea ōrite. Ko ngā otinga e toru e oti i ngā umanga me ngā kaiārahi te whakatūturu e whakamana ai i ngā wāhine ko:
Ko te mea e tārake ana te kite i ngā hua, ahakoa te ao e kōingo ana te angitu, ko te tautoko, te whakatenatena kaha, me ngā tauira whakahihiko, waihoki te tautoko; katoa ēnei e mea waiwai e taurikura ai te wāhine. E tātari ana ngā whārangi o te pūrongo e haere ake nei ka āmiki kōrerotanga pēnā e hāngai ana te rangahau ki ngā wāhine i te hākinakina.
I te mutunga iho, e kōrero ana mātou mō te whakarerekē i ngā āhuatanga pāpori me te whakamāori i te angitu a te wāhine - ka mutu, kia rongo i te angitu - kei te āhua e pīrangitia nei. Me whai wā ēnei rerenga kētanga, engari kei te kite tonu mātou, ā, e hiamo pai ana mātou ki te tau tītoki. E whakanui ana te rangahau i ngā tino kaupapa e whakaponohia ana e ngā kaiwhakautu e rerekē pai ai te kokenga whakamua a te wāhine. Mā tēnā e anga pai ai mātou katoa kia koke tonu e whakatūturu ai i te rerenga kētanga:
MOTIVATION AND ROLE MODELS
Inspiration and motivation can come from a variety of places. The research shows a strong social component informing judgements of ‘inspiration’, i.e. being talented wasn’t enough on its own to qualify a person as inspirational. Respondents needed and wanted to see more. Role models need to be relatable, ‘down to earth’ and community-minded with evidence of giving back.
When asked to nominate inspiring sportspeople, the most cited examples in the women’s groups were Lisa Carrington, Simone Biles, Sophie Pascoe, Dame Valerie Adams, and Sir John Kirwan. The men’s groups often named Lisa Carrington and Dame Valerie but were heavier on rugby and cricket players. Richie McCaw and Brendon McCullum were the two most common.
It was clear that it was not enough for a sportsperson to be good at their chosen sport to be nominated; they had to embody many of the qualities applied to inspiring people generally.
The key reasons these people were chosen were:
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many female respondents found women to be more inspirational than men. They were considered more relatable, and might have faced similar challenges such as family/societal pressures. This further supports the above point that achievement and talent is not enough for a personality to be inspirational.
In terms of sports, women felt that female sportspeople were seen to set more achievable goals from a physical standpoint. However, a number felt that the elite levels of those nominated would always be out of reach for the average person, and thus weren’t really ‘motivational’.
A focus on mental health was particularly evident among younger women, and in their nomination of figures like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, who have recently been outspoken about their prioritisation of personal wellbeing and how that is an achievement in itself rather than pushing to ‘win’ against all odds. Despite a backlash, Osaka, in particular, received significant support for her stance, which is vital in giving others permission to see this as OK.
Groups in general were much more likely to cite family and friends, or community leaders, as inspiration, and there was strong recognition from those participating in team sports that they relied on a key person acting as a co-ordinator – setting up teams, organising and motivating people to take part. Women relied on their friends more than men for inspiration. Support and influencing female friendship groups will be key to keeping women engaged and supported in achieving their goals.
Not surprisingly, social media personalities and influencers were the number one motivator of people aged 18-44 years.
Q: Who MOST inspires you to keep going at things in your life when you’re facing challenges? (%)
Family was the primary source of inspiration for most respondents
THE SNOWBALL EFFECT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
A sobering two out of three women (64%) don’t feel successful women receive as much recognition as men.
Most respondents considered success a product of ‘hard work and application’ followed by ‘strong support’ and ‘being encouraged’.
All three factors were rated stronger by women. ‘Luck’ and ‘privilege’ scored lowest. Luck was the only exception to this, with 33% of females and 42% of males considering this important.
Q: Thinking about your proudest successes or achievements in life, how important were each of the following? (%)
Most respondents considered success a product of “hard work and application” followed by “strong support” and “being encouraged”. All three factors were rated stronger by women. “Luck” and “privilege” scored lowest.
Women were more likely to give a higher importance rating across the board compared to men.
Younger respondents gave higher ratings for hard work and natural ability.
Respondents were asked about their participation in sport growing up and who they felt provided encouragement. Almost half acknowledged a family member in this role, with the father ranking highly for men and mothers providing support to more than half of women.
Parents had typically encouraged participation through passing on their passion in a sport, and supporting children and other people in a variety of ways, such as:
Q: Growing up, were you actively encouraged or supported to participate in sport by any of the following:
Growing up, males were more likely to have experienced encouragement to participate in sport than females. Males were more likely to have experienced that encouragement from their fathers, and females from their mothers.
Of those who said ‘family member’, 41% said it was mostly their mother and 41% said father.
The most common way mothers would do this was: arrange transport (65%), show up to games (55%) buy equipment (50%) and celebrate big moments (41%).
The most common ways fathers would do this was: show up to games (60%) arrange transport (52%) buy equipment (50%) and attend practise (42%).
SOLUTIONS AND BENEFITS
Men and women both identify participation in sport as equally important, with the development of self-confidence/self-esteem the number one reason for overall participation.
There was a high degree of consistency across the research groups on the benefits of physical activity. Mental health was a dominant feature with ‘sets up the day well’ right through to ‘stress release’ and ‘time out from family’ or ‘me time’ cited as positive benefits, which can be applied to other aspects of life.
Taking time for personal and professional development, and the sense of achievement that that can provide, has significant health benefits – it’s widely recognised that stress can be relieved through pursuits that foster genuine happiness and fulfilment.
General health and fitness were seen as universally important even among the less active respondents, and was a strong driver of the sense of obligation to do more in terms of physical activity. The social aspects of sport and recreation were strong for the majority of respondents and for many are a major driver of enjoyment and motivation to continue.
Q: How important are each of the following personal benefits of physical activity and sport? (%)
‘Fitness/health’, ‘mental health’, and ‘stress release’ top the list of benefits but women were more inclined to rate mental health benefits higher.
Females are more likely to consider the following more important than males: mental health (81% vs 72%), ‘Me-time’ (68% vs 59%), stress release (79% vs 73%) and better sleep (73% vs 63%).
Males are more likely to consider the following more important than females: urge for competition (39% vs 29%) and success in their career (41% vs 31%).
Sporting moments that stood out for people were as much about personal milestones as trophies and wins. These might include finishing a half marathon or reaching a goal weight.
While there was certainly an element of ‘wider/peer recognition’ driving the pride behind many of these achievements, the flow-on effects can be wide-reaching, including:
THE CALL TO ACTION – WATCH WOMEN WIN
The research has shown that increasing visibility and celebration of female success is a highly motivating factor in encouraging other women to participate. This, in turn, can give women the motivation they lack due to the burden of other commitments.
For the Watch Women Win programme to be successful and for change to be achieved, the barriers for women particularly need to be broken down and removed. For many women, the guilt aspect of taking ‘me-time’ was often a key factor in play, particularly when related to sport. A number noted that their kids’ sports always took precedence over their needs – both in terms of time and cost.
Many of these are historical or societal hangovers from a past that put women in a more familial caregiving role, or the often paralysing posture that comes with the sense that women must do it all and be all things to everyone in order to be seen as successful.
The barriers cited in the research when looking at reasons women drop out of sporting activity include:
Barriers to being more active [ranked from all]:
Top three solutions to attract people to participate more in physical activity:
To affect change, visibility is key and the more we celebrate success, the more permission we give for this to continue. We can remove some of the societal stereotypes by normalising the alternatives. A clear example is when applied to sport – the research showed there is a strong perception women’s sport is broadcast much less than men’s (substantiated by viewership research) - and was seen as largely limited to netball coverage.
The Olympic Games were noted as one event that did provide more balanced coverage of women and men in action, and the medal wins by women at this year’s event particularly forced the spotlight and subsequent positive media coverage.
However, there is a long way to go to achieve true balance.
The main reasons people believe there is lower coverage of women’s sports are:
Additionally, some did note aspects of women’s sport that made it less appealing to them. These findings were stronger in the men’s groups but present with women as well:
Men and women agreed that they were likely to watch more female sport if it was broadcast more often, and three quarters (75%) of respondents said visibility of women’s sport on TV was very or fairly motivational in terms of encouraging them to participate in sport themselves.
A change in attitude towards what success looks like, along with recognition of the drivers of participation in sport – with women motivated less by winning and competition and more by the wellbeing benefits of sport and exercise – are shifting the dynamic.
The focus on ‘winning’ in the traditional sense was off-putting, and when asked about their own memorable moments in a sporting sense, ‘winning’ featured but was not dominant.
Significant moments were just as likely to involve meeting goals, and hitting health targets, such as:
In summing up what ‘winning’ meant to them in relation to their own efforts, most felt it was the journey that was most important.
In this respect ‘winning’ related to executing a plan, reaching goals, and continual improvement.
Allowing ‘winning’ to be the setting and achievement of goals can be applied to all aspects of life, and – again – speaks to the idea that taking steps to get where you want to be is normal, expected and part of the overall story.
The ways businesses were seen to be able to support women better were almost exclusively confined to the removal of practical barriers. The research noted greater participation in sport, but increased support of women in leadership roles, improved career development pathways, and greater flexibility can allow for success across other aspects of life.
Key suggestions from respondents to support women in the workplace:
Q: How strongly do you agree or disagree that companies and the people who lead them should do the following to support women reach their goals and ‘win’ (%)
Almost three quarters supported fair pay policies, and more than half endorsed celebrating female success formally and increased workplace training opportunities.
Women were more likely to endorse all factors but this was particularly the case for:
Role models were seen as particularly important here, with the potential to reinforce and normalise visibility of strong female leadership. Several respondents recounted first-hand experiences of the benefit of female leaders and how their management style resulted in better commitment and performance from staff.
Currently, women respondents say they are not experiencing motivation from the same sources as men, which could indicate a lack of relatable role models, as described in the section on inspiration/motivation.
This presents an opportunity for change and greater visibility of those real stories of success that prompt an emotional response.
Q: Which of the following types of people ever provide you with direct or indirect motivation to keep going when you’re facing challenges? (%)
Managers and teachers were strong sources of motivation. Business leaders and sports people were more likely to have provided motivations to men. Women were more likely not to have experienced motivation from any of the sources tested.
What is clear from the research findings is that shifting attitudes is creating headway, but greater championing of others and visibility of success stories is needed to create a participatory environment.
Encouraging participation relies on addressing both the practical and the psychological/emotional barriers. It requires better means of connection with like-minded groups or individuals in safe spaces where people are championed, and feelings of embarrassment can subside and make way for passion and drive for our goals to be achieved.
Our next generation needs to see more role models and have greater visibility of women leading the charge, there is already a strong view that change is underway – but it must sit alongside more direct initiatives from leaders that address the practical and emotional barriers which constrain the act of ‘leaning in’.
Women need the motivation to reach a certain level of commitment and to push harder, but this cannot be stand-alone. Motivation comes from an environment that champions achievement, that shines a light on success rather than dampens it, and where inspiration is found in the news, on social media, at the workplace, in our friendship groups and our families.
ANZ is proud to be part of a world that creates space for everyone to win and for companies like ours, this means (but is not limited to):
We’re excited about the launch of this important platform and we’re looking forward to shining more light on how we can all Watch Women Win.
If you can see it, you can be it.
Quantitative results in this report are based upon questions asked in an online nationally representative survey of n=1500 New Zealanders aged 18 years and over. The survey was conducted by Talbot Mills Research between 21 and 30 September, 2021. The effective maximum margin of error for a sample of n=1500 at the 95% confidence level is ± 2.5%.
Qualitative observations are based on the findings of eight focus groups conducted by Talbot Mills Research between 7 and 9 September, 2021 conducted via Zoom. Six groups were with women only, covering a nationwide geographical spread and a range of ages. It included dedicated groups of Māori and Pacifica women. Two groups were conducted with the fathers of daughters.
NZ Business
NZ Community
NZ Community