See the full list of the 2022 Diversity Awards NZ winners here
Speaking to HRD after winning the inaugural Diversity Champion Award at the 2022 Diversity Awards NZ last night, Dellwyn Stuart humbly offered, “I try to be someone who recognises the privilege they have from the success they had in a system that favours Pākehā. We are such a diverse country and often we don’t see that diversity reflected back at us.”
Stuart is CEO of the YWCA and co-founder of the #mindthegap movement. Despite her quiet, lead from the back style, Stuart and her team have made strides in the area of pay equity for women - they’ve managed to convince 55 of New Zealand’s most powerful CEOs to publicly register their gender pay gaps so they can start to work towards understanding and closing the gender pay gap.
“She’s this very calm voice that says, ‘what we’re asking for is not unreasonable’ and in the end everybody just agrees with her, I think that’s her superpower,” said kiwi writer and comedian Michelle A’Court in a video tribute celebrating Stuart’s win.
Read more: Diversity awards crowns STEM program for Māori supreme winner
Stuart’s work doesn’t end with equity for women, she has campaigned for Māori and Pasifika and disability community pay gaps to also be registered, allowing for consideration of the ways different groups are disadvantaged by income inequity.
Her quiet leadership will create systems level change that we will look back on in twenty or thirty years when pay gaps are a thing of the past and we will go Dellwyn created the conditions for these changes to have happened,” said Anya Satynand, Chief Executive at Leadership New Zealand.
The awards, held at The Great Room at the Cordis Hotel are celebrating their 25th year of championing diversity in Aotearoa. This is the first year the award committee has introduced an award recognising an individual’s contribution to diversity. The category recognises an individual who through their work and advocacy, has made a personal impact on building a more inclusive Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Read more: Diversity breakthrough on the horizon
Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit said the judging panel at the awards were impressed by Dellwyn’s determination to challenge the status quo. “Dellwyn leans into this issue fearlessly and is an inspiring example of someone using their privilege to create a better, fairer world for those from disadvantaged groups,” said Smit.
Speaking on the win, Stuart said, “I feel very honoured to be the inaugural diversity champion. I wasn’t expecting it, but it was a beautiful night and it’s lovely to take a moment and reflect on what you have achieved.”
Stuart’s humbler persona continued, “I’m always weary of awards that go to individuals because I think none of us ever achieve what we achieve alone, it’s always alongside others. In the case of women and women’s equality there have been organisations and people working on this since New Zealand has been New Zealand.”
“As somebody who has a quieter lead from the back leadership style, you often don't get seen and in that moment, I felt seen so it was just a feeling of kind of recognition and gratefulness.”
Winner: Pūhoro STEMM Academy
Winner: Dellwyn Stuart, YWCA Auckland
Small-Medium Organisation Winner – Yellow
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – New Zealand Intelligence Community
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
Small-Medium Organisation Winner – Deaf Aotearoa
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – KPMG
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – HEB Construction
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – Ministry of Social Development Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – Education Perfect
Small-Medium Organisation Highly Commended – Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Small-Medium Organisation Winner – Pūhoro STEMM Academy
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – Otago Polytechnic Ltd
Winner: Upskills
