Well Wahine Week

SURF'S UP: Natalie Ford, Heidi Mayer, Susie Middleton, Sarah Lorenz from Surfing with Sarah, which will be running a Well Wahine on Waves workshop during Well Wahine Week on Wednesday March 10 at 8am. Picture by Paul Rickard

A host of free activities will be on offer next week to mark International Women's Day.

Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti and providers around the district have collaborated to celebrate International Women's Day with Well Wahine Week — a week-long line-up of 53 female-tailored activities and workshops.

SGT's Tracey Harkess said the week would open ​on Monday — International Women's Day — with a hikoi up Titirangi/Kaiti Hill on and close on Sunday with a ​celebration event featuring live music, food and drink, and networking.

“The activities range from workshops and educational talks to have-a-go sports, yoga and skating.

“It also covers different age groups. We've got workshops at three different locations up the Coast and some activities are child-friendly.

“All activities ​are run by the providers at their own premises or arranged location.

“We had funding available which meant the providers could put on these events for free and also add to the quality of the event to make it an epic experience.

“For each activity/event there are instructions (provided by the provider) if participants need to register or if they can just show up on the day.”

Details on how to get involved are on the itinerary available online at sportgisborne.org.nz/well-wahine-week/

“Each activity has a different aim depending on the kaupapa with the provider but our overall aim of pulling these events together was to break down barriers that may prevent wahine from taking part in sport, active recreation, or play.

“It also gives wahine the chance to try something new by removing the risk associated of having to pay for something that they may not enjoy.

“It gets wahine coming together and trying new things. We can already see from our social media posts about Well Wahine Week that a lot of the feedback is about wanting to try something new and getting friends and whanau involved.

“Participants might also find they really enjoyed an activity and choose to pick it up long-term.”

■ To mark International Women's Day, The Gisborne Herald's Monday edition will include a special feature on successful women in Tairawhiti.