Women and Gender Minorities Network report - Annual Report 2025

31 May, 2026

We began 2025 with two events held alongside AMN11 to celebrate diverse genders in STEM. The first was a panel was held at Tūranga (Christchurch Library), a public event to celebrate Women and Gender Minorities in STEM. The panel included researchers and students from various academic and industry backgrounds, including Jaye Barclay, Professor Jenny Malmström, Associate Professor Julie Karel, Sydnee Koia, Winter Zakaria and Dr Jami Shepherd, and discussed the challenges of being a minority gender in STEM, as well as sources of inspiration and motivation to continue doing the hard mahi and advice for those setting out on their own journeys.

Women and Gender Minorities in STEM panel celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science February 2025, Tūranga (Christchurch Library)

The following morning, many conference attendees participated in IUPAC's (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) Global Women's Breakfast event. We were very fortunate to have Professor Frederique Vanholsbeeck from Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland (UoA) speak about her experiences championing diversity in STEM spaces. The breakfast was co-hosted by the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.

In July, we said farewell to our inaugural Network Chair, Jaye Barclay (he/they, Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Hauiti, Te Āti-Haunui-a-Pāpārangi), and welcomed new Chair, Akshita Mogaveera. Akshita organised a Women and Gender Minorities Breakfast event at the MacDiarmid Institute's annual symposium event at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in November where she also delivered a session to raise awareness about the network so that individuals can fully utilise the resource to share concerns, ideas, suggestions and feedback and help the community grow stronger.