• 12:00 pm - 01:00 pm
Venue: Online

Hosts: Women of Colour in the Public Sector Network (WOCPSN) and Te Aka Wāhine o Tāmaki - Auckland Government Women’s Network (AGWN)

Speakers:

  • Savita Bhaskaran, Qualitative researcher
  • Maulupeivao Dr Betty Ofe-Grant, Senior Lecturer, Management Auckland University of Technology
  • Dr Fatima Junaid, Senior Lecturer, Massey University

Facilitated by:

  • Shahd El-Matary, WOCPSN committee member
  • Natasha Lewis , AGWN Deputy Chair

Register: Eventsair

Women of Colour academics will delve into their academic research and discuss obstacles standing in the way of progress in the workplace and explore the case for change.

Savita Bhaskaran will discuss her thesis on Indian Migrant Women and their experience with the "Glass Ceiling in New Zealand".

Savita works full-time as a professional staff member at AUT. She holds a Master of Management and am a qualitative researcher. As a migrant herself, she is passionate about diversity and inclusion.
Her thesis “Indian Migrant Women Managers’ Experiences of the Glass Ceiling in New Zealand” reveals how women from Indian migrant community experience barriers to career progress and how workplaces can help break down the blockades. She aims to influence strategies, policies, and decision-making processes through her research findings and motivational talks. To achieve this, Savita takes on allyship and actively support members of minority or marginalized groups.

Dr Fatima Junaid will discuss her research on Muslims, people from refugee-background communities, and migrants.

Dr. Fatima Junaid is an experienced consultant and educator working within the public and private sector for over a decade. Dr. Junaid has done extensive research with marginalized communities including refugees, women, migrants and fishers’ communities. She focuses on developing mechanisms of support for better wellbeing outcomes . Currently she is a Senior lecturer at Massey University and a member of the several wellbeing (academic and professional) organisations. She also runs a social media support network group for Pakistani women in academia.

Maulupeivao Dr Betty Ofe-Grant will share her research findings and personal experience with the "Brown Glass Ceiling".

Betty's career began in the public sector before transitioning to the corporate world. During her time as a public servant, Betty noticed disparities affecting Pacific peoples and women, particularly in relation to socioeconomic status, education, employment, housing and income. These issues were further compounded by gender and race privilege, which perpetuated poverty, the existence of multiple glass ceilings, and limited career opportunities.

In the private sector, Betty held various roles in Human Resources, with a focus on Performance Management, including performance appraisal interviews. These experiences brought to light the unfortunate consequences of cross-cultural misunderstandings between Pacific peoples and New Zealand-Western. The lack of emotional and cultural intelligence in these interactions often resulted in missed career promotions and opportunities. These professional experiences, combined with personal insights, ignited Betty's commitment to researching the challenges faced by Pacific people, migrants, and women, in the context of work and culture in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

 

Shahd El-Matary is a WOCPSN committee member. Her diverse portfolio illustrates her commitment to community engagement and support for communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has experience spanning the private sector and more recently, in central government and the public sector. 

Shahd's Master thesis focused on the state’s perspective on successful immigrant integration and the factors that contribute to an equitable society. After serving her three-year term as Board Chair in ChangeMakers Refugee Resettlement Forum, Shahd joined a group of wonderful women to establish the Lower Hutt Muslimah Committee focused on supporting Muslim women socially, economically, and spiritually so that they can thrive in their lives and in society. In 2021 The Lower Hutt Muslimah Committee won the Rising Star Regional Community Award.
As a Committee member in the Women of Colour Network, Shahd is part of the advocacy team who meet regularly to analyse data received from the Women of Colour Network and put these ideas into action.

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