Ministry of Justice recognised for diversity efforts

The Ministry of Justice has won the “Empowerment Award” at this year’s Diversity Awards NZ held in Auckland on Wednesday.

The award was for an employee-led initiative to promote women’s interests, including their personal and professional goals. Called the Women’s Network, the program was founded by Karin Schofield, the ministry’s strategic performance director, in 2015.

“In a large and dispersed agency like ours, it can be challenging to achieve impact across the boundaries of business groups and our geographically dispersed workforce, as well as being relevant to all our people,” Schofield said. “We wanted to establish a network that would support all our women, no matter what their role, education, age, ethnicity, or location.”

“We recognise that our women have different aspirations, different life stories, and we come from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We need to appeal to a wide range of interests and reflect the diversity of our organisation,” she said.

The Ministry of Justice is the nation’s third-largest public-sector agency, with nearly 3,800 people working across more than 100 courts and offices.

New Zealand Law Society President Kathryn Beck congratulated the ministry for its achievement.

“The ministry is a large and diverse organisation which works in over 100 locations across New Zealand. The way its management has supported establishment of the Women’s Network is a powerful example of how cultural change can be achieved through leadership and commitment,” she said.

The ministry’s Women’s Network has grown to 730 members in just three years, she said. It has also taken a number of innovative initiatives, including the appointment of 25 local champions and the Men as Allies campaign.

“Gender equality can only be gained with genuine commitment from the leadership team and the active participation of everyone throughout a workplace,” Beck said. “The legal profession has a close connection to the Ministry of Justice. Building safe, inclusive and respectful workplaces is something that we all need to work on. I am sure lawyers will recognise and celebrate the ministry’s achievement in supporting diversity and equality.”