Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Editorial: Bikini club crossed the line

Katie Holland
By Katie Holland
Deputy editor·Rotorua Daily Post·
22 Mar, 2016 03:50 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Katie Holland.

Katie Holland.

What on earth was the Chamber thinking?

On Monday in its 'Chamber Chat' email to members it announced its Women in Business sessions were to be revamped as the Chamber of Commerce Bikini Club.

It came complete with a logo featuring a cartoon of a large lady in a small bikini.

The backlash was swift and none too complimentary.

I am sure the Chamber's intentions were good. It wanted to market its female-focussed events in a more "fun and vibrant" way.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Business doesn't have to be boring, but there is a fine line between fun and plain demeaning, sexist and cringeworthy. In my view, that line was crossed.

When businesswomen attend events run by the Chamber they do so to network, learn and share ideas so they can improve their own businesses and contribute to the Rotorua economy.

Generations of women have worked hard to achieve an even playing field with men in the business world - and many would argue it's a battle they are still fighting.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Only recently it was revealed the pay gap between what men and women earn in New Zealand is the worst it has been in almost 10 years.

The last thing Rotorua's businesswomen need is a professional organisation set up to advocate for them reducing them to a trivial caricature.

They take their careers and businesses seriously and the Chamber should do the same.

To its credit, the Chamber reacted swiftly to the backlash over the name and apologised yesterday, admitting it had got it wrong and asking for suggestions for a new name.

Discover more

Editorial: Time to give new name fair hearing

16 Mar 03:50 PM

Editorial: Introducing a new way to join the discussion

17 Mar 03:50 PM

Editorial: Wicked Campers cross the line

20 Mar 03:50 PM

Editorial: Trading hours impact on Bay

23 Mar 03:50 PM

But you do have to wonder how the name got through in the first place, without someone raising a red flag.

Chamber chief executive Darrin Walsh and the board members have worked hard over the last two years to build a strong organisation that meets the needs of its members.

Hopefully this will be a mistake they will learn from. Its female members deserve that respect.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Premium
Rotorua Daily Post

'Disheartening': Why a bid to house homeless people in pods fell over

Rotorua Daily Post

Snapchat predator targeted 11-year-old girl, while on bail awaiting rape trial

Rotorua Daily Post

Is this the toastie capital of NZ? City has two cafes in competition finals


Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Premium
Premium
'Disheartening': Why a bid to house homeless people in pods fell over
Rotorua Daily Post

'Disheartening': Why a bid to house homeless people in pods fell over

A local business made the $2500 pods. A charity bought some. Then plans began unravelling.

05 Aug 06:00 PM
Snapchat predator targeted 11-year-old girl, while on bail awaiting rape trial
Rotorua Daily Post

Snapchat predator targeted 11-year-old girl, while on bail awaiting rape trial

05 Aug 05:00 PM
Is this the toastie capital of NZ? City has two cafes in competition finals
Rotorua Daily Post

Is this the toastie capital of NZ? City has two cafes in competition finals

05 Aug 05:00 PM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP