A new collection of writing published by South Canterbury Rural Women New Zealand is a treasure trove of stories and poems celebrating the lives and work of rural women.

At last weekend’s launch of the anthology Ragwort and Thistles, Minister of Women’s Affairs and Rangitata MP, Jo Goodhew, said “Women were and women are the fabric of our land.”

The Minister congratulated the 48 contributors - many of whom were in Timaru for the launch – saying the book of poetry and prose moved her and will become a treasured publication to many.

President of Rural Women New Zealand’s South Canterbury Provincial, Margaret Chapman, says the publication of the book had been a big project. 

“During 2011 we held a nationwide writing competition seeking original, non-published works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry that celebrated women and the role they play or have played on our land and in our rural communities.

“In all, 321 entries were received, ranging from witty poems and moving stories about remarkable pioneer women who shaped our country, to modern stories about women farmers today.”

A judging panel of five, including Pleasant Point writer Karalyn Joyce, had an incredibly hard job to select the 52 individual poems and stories that are included in the book.

They chose as winner a short story called Ragwort and Thistles, by Marion Day of Picton, saying the story invoked clear and vivid memories.

In a close second, was Milk and Honey, another very descriptive and well-written story by Annalisa Vaatstra of Wanganui.

In third place came Madge, a beautiful character poem by Dawn McMillan of Thames.

The book will have broad appeal for both rural and non-rural people. 

“It’s a good read – designed to entertain, to inform and in many cases to evoke memories,” says Margaret Chapman. 

“The book celebrates the vital part that women play in farming – in the past, present and into the future”.

The book is available for purchase through Rural Women New Zealand’s website – www.ruralwomen.org.nz 

Photo above  from left to right
Kerry Maw, RWNZ National Councillor; Alyson Ulrich, judge; Vicky O'Connor, photographer; Yvone Cochrane,contributor; Hon Jo Goodhew, MP


For further information about the book contact:
Margaret Chapman
President South Canterbury Provincial
Rural Women New Zealand
(03) 693 9994, (027) 207 6008
mgchapman@xtra.co.nz

Generate Rural Leadership Course is FREE for RWNZ members around New Zealand. A great chance to improve your leadership skills and gain a nationally recognised Certificate in Rural Leadership.

It is designed for people living and working in rural New Zealand. The Program focuses on developing attitude, character, personal principles and people skills.

We are looking for groups from around New Zealand that are keen to run this programme in their regions. You need 6-15 people. Generate is delivered across New Zealand by experienced, talented facilitators. The program is based on 9 modules which are taught over approximately 9 classes. Groups meet on a day and time to suit for day long workshops. 

• Self confidence
• The ability to work effectively with people
• Improving productivity
• Developing goal setting strategies
• Marketing and promotional skills
• Overall leadership skills

Contact Emma Humphrey if you want to know more - emma.humphrey@ruralwomen.org.nz or 04 473 5524.

What is Neighbours Day Aotearoa? 

Neighbours Day Aotearoa is about turning New Zealand streets and roads into neighbourhoods.

That means encouraging all of us in New Zealand to go one step further in getting to know our neighbours on the 24-25 March 2012. Whether it's a first wave or smile, a chat over the fence, inviting someone in for a cuppa or holding a community barbeque, every connection makes our neighbourhoods more friendly, fun and safe.

Neighbours Day Aotearoa is also about celebrating the neighbourhoods we have. It's not about big events, but local activity in every street and neighbourhood. Neighbours Day Aotearoa is something for ALL New Zealanders to be involved in.

The Rural Women NZ Challenge!

We would like to encourage our members around New Zealand to support Neighbours Day Aotearoa on the 24-25 March 2012. A great way to get to know others in your community and even recruit some new RWNZ members!

There are many ways you could celebrate Neighbours Day Aotearoa... Here are a few ideas! 

• Before Neighbours Day, pop a note card into your neighbours’ letterboxes, asking if they’re interested in getting to know one another and take it from there (You can download a 10-step guide to planning a street get-together here!)
• Say kia ora, hello, talofa, mālō ē lelei, ni hao or whatever works for you and your neighbours!
• Organise a street BBQ, or a morning/afternoon tea – ask your neighbours to bring along food to share (or, how about making a giant batch of pancakes and having breakfast together?) 
• Host an international pot luck (shared) meal with a few of your neighbours - invite everyone to bring a dish in their local tradition
• Bake something to give to your neighbours or invite them over to your home for a cup of tea
• Next time you mow your grass verge why not do your neighbours’ verge as well? 
• Exchange phone numbers in case of emergencies – help your neighbours by giving them all a copy of each other’s contacts (with their permission)
• Share home-grown produce with your neighbours or start a local community garden
• Get online: set up a Facebook page or website for your street or neighbourhood to help you organise neighbourly activities 
• Organise a sports / games afternoon – egg and spoon, sack, relay races, chalk-drawing competitions are simple and great fun 
• Get creative with your neighbours and decorate your letter-boxes together
• Organise a street clean-up, gardening / working bee, or giant garage-sale
• Find out who plays what instrument in your street and organise a musical jam session
• Do a street clothes swap: Recycle clothes and refresh your family’s wardrobes!
• Start a neighbourhood library for things you and your neighbours are happy to lend / share with each other (e.g. ladders, tools, books, toys, sports gear, music, art & craft supplies...)

Martin Johnson and English rugby team presented with aftersocks™ during goodwill visit to Christchurch

English rugby team members will have a special souvenir of Christchurch to take home with them after they were presented with Rural Women New Zealand’saftersocks™ during a goodwill visit to the city yesterday.

Christchurch City Council purchased 200 pairs of the aftersocks™, featuring red and black stripes and an earthquake ‘shake’ line, to present to the England and Australian teams.

Both teams had been scheduled to play Rugby World Cup matches in Christchurch before the Canterbury earthquakes derailed those plans.

Over 9,000 pairs of aftersocks™ have been sold by Rural Women New Zealand, raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Christchurch Mayoral Fun.  The merino blend socks are being manufactured in Ashburton.

“Our aftersocks™ have been a huge success, and as keen rugby supporters we’re thrilled to think that now they’ll be warming some very famous feet!” says Rural Women New Zealand President, Liz Evans.

“Hi, I'm Rosemary, on 28 July 2011 I had triplet lambs. My owners thought I was pretty clever! Farmer Anne's friends have named my lambs Sage, Thyme and Mint. You will be surprised to see how much they have grown!


Follow me on Facebook to see what my life is like on the farm in the hill country of the Tararua District in New Zealand.”

www.facebook.com/rosemarythesheep

Rosemary the Sheep is a new project designed to tell the story of what life is like in rural New Zealand.

We will follow Rosemary through lambing, weaning, docking, shearing, drenching, dipping and more. The aim is to get urban children and adults excited about what rural New Zealand has to offer and to teach everyone something new about the life of a sheep in New Zealand.

Calls for help from the Christchurch Women's Refuge and the Dallington Community Hub in the eastern suburbs have resulted in a great example of teamwork, with The Warehouse donating a supply of warm pyjamas, children’s underwear, bed socks and hot water bottles.

Within a day of making a phone call to The Warehouse, executive officer Noeline Holt had secured a supply of winter woolies from the Wellington branches of the company, which pooled a trolley load of clothing and hotwater bottles valued at more than $600.

Meanwhile Canterbury based Rural Women New Zealand member, Helen Heddell, coordinated a team of volunteers to deliver lamb roasts to the hard hit areas in the suburbs of Christchurch.

We have many examples of teamwork from all sectors of New Zealand, with outstanding contributions and ideas from our own membership working with their communities in support of Canterbury”, Noeline Holt said.

New Zealand has a thing or two to learn from Australia when it comes to getting women on boards.

In May, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hon Hekia Parata, met some of Australia’s top business leaders to understand how dramatic changes in Australian business culture are driving a surge in the number of women on company boards.

Under Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) rules introduced last year, companies are required to set measurable targets for the advancement of women into senior management and board roles. Business across the Tasman is responding positively because they see advantages for themselves in having more women in leadership.

“These changes are largely driven by male business leaders, who are building gender equality into the strategies of their companies,” says Pamela Cohen, Director of the Nominations Service at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

The targets set are often ambitious, with senior managers being offered incentives to achieve them. For example, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia has a target of 35 percent women in senior management roles by 2014 – and to achieve this, 65 percent of appointments over the next three years will need to be women.

According to Ms Cohen, the key to faster change in Australia is that the business leaders themselves see the advantages – including better productivity and improved business performance – and are pushing the change. There’s a champions group of 12 business leaders – including the CEOs of Qantas, Telstra, IBM and New Zealander Sir Ralph Norris, CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

“There is also an effective mentoring programme, which involves 56 of the top chairs in Australia.”

The NZ Ministry of Women's Affairs is investigating ways of getting greater business involvement in increasing women's leadership here.

“Helping to establish a champions group is certainly one of the options, because what Australia tells us is that change really takes off when it is business leaders themselves that take the lead.”

New Zealand women can also promote change as individuals and collectively. They can use their positions as shareholders and employees to ask why the companies with which they are associated are not making full use of women’s skills, and they can join and support organisations that are working for change.