2018 marks the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand; on 19 September 1893, the Electoral Act (1893) was passed and women in New Zealand won the right to vote. Anniversaries of this event are special opportunities to reflect on women’s leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Petone Settlers Museum Te Whare Whakāro o Pito-one is proud to present Whakatū Wāhine – Women Here and Now as part of the 125th anniversary commemorations. We chose to showcase the contributions younger generations of women make to our communities’ health and vibrancy. To do this, we invited the public to nominate women aged 15 to 40 who demonstrate inspiring leadership in the Te Awakairangi Lower Hutt area to be featured in this display.
From a large group of nominations, our selection panel chose five women’s stories to share: Sharee Adam, Te Hau Winitana, Sithmi Sathruwani, Skye Chadwick and Sisi Tuala-Le’afa. These wāhine exemplify contemporary community leadership.
Whether their focus is on fostering cultural identity through language and dance, building resilient communities, or addressing diversity in a changing technological world, this new generation is leading community change we can all be proud of.
Sithmi Sathruwani (Sri Lanka/Aotearoa New Zealand)
Board of Trustees – Student Representative, Hutt Valley High School
“I recognise myself as a global citizen.” – Sithmi Sathruwani
A Year 12 student at Hutt Valley High School, Sithmi Sathruwani sees opportunities where others see barriers. She embodies the strength of an emerging generation of young women who are embracing the possibilities of technology and connectivity.
Inspired by the local Innovative Young Minds programme, Sithmi launched a girls-focused technology club at her school. Based on the STEAM curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics), the girls explore and build confidence in areas like coding, robotics and web design. Sithmi says it’s about encouraging girls to “reach for those really big dreams” and to prepare for the jobs of the future.
Sithmi recently returned from the 2018 United Nations Youth New Zealand Pacific Project. As a member of this group, Sithmi tackled subjects like the future of democracy, climate change and New Zealand’s role in the Pacific with like-minded individuals. Sithmi’s tenacity was evident all the way from her application process to fundraising for her travel. She attended the UN Youth Australia National Conference in Adelaide, followed by a trip to Vanuatu on a cultural and educational exchange.
Sithmi recognises the positive impact one individual can make, and the strength of a collective working together. Passionate about seeing young people embrace sustainable development goals, Sithmi’s future projects will focus on these areas. Her optimism and confidence is contagious, and as a regular volunteer with Te Omanga Hospice and Kaibosh Food Rescue, Sithmi encourages young people to give back to their community.
