Wairoa local Sue Wilson has been appointed the first ConnectHER by Rural Women New Zealand. Her role is to help rural women and their families access support when they need it.
Wairoa local Sue Wilson has been appointed the first ConnectHER by Rural Women New Zealand. Her role is to help rural women and their families access support when they need it.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) has appointed Wairoa local Sue Wilson as the first “ConnectHER” towards improving access to support services for rural women and their families.
The ConnectHER initiative, funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), is aimed at helping rural communities better connect with government and non-governmentservices, and will be trialled in the Wairoa/Tairāwhiti and Southland regions.
“Sue brings a wealth of local knowledge and experience to the role,” RWNZ said. “Sue is pivotal to the work of the Wairoa Community Development Trust and is a past manager of the Wairoa A&P Society.”
Wilson said: “It can be challenging to access face-to-face services in rural communities. Distance from larger towns and cities, and poor connectivity, often compound the issue.
“The ConnectHER programme aims to overcome some of these challenges by connecting women and families in need with the most appropriate service provider.”
The initiative will run until June 2026 and will gather insights into the experiences of rural women accessing services. These findings will help inform future improvements in service delivery.
Oversight of the project is provided by a steering committee made up of representatives from RWNZ, the Rural Support Trust and MPI.
Wilson said she was looking forward to getting started and making a practical difference.
