British High Commission Women's Day Competition - Winner Hawwa Niyaz
For International Women’s Day 2022, I was British High Commissioner for the Day!
This opportunity was awarded to me after winning a competition where I sent in a video clip of my one idea to improve gender equality - mentorship opportunities and gender equality education in every school in New Zealand, at policy level. Being High Commissioner meant that I not only worked alongside Her Excellency Laura Clarke OBE to get a taste for diplomacy by having meetings, hosting events and even getting to take over the social media pages for example, but also got a deeper insight into what it is like to be an Ambassador or High Commissioner, and lead a diplomatic mission. This competition was open for 17-25 year old's across Aotearoa and I’m very honoured to have been able to have this opportunity.
Here is the link to my video clip and some photos attached as well as a brief recap with reflections below.
My day as British High Commissioner was a day that will be forever memorable. The skills I learnt, the people I was able to meet and experiences I got to live have been phenomenal.
Throughout the day I got the opportunity to work alongside British High Commissioner Her Excellency Laura Clarke OBE and had meetings with; Ingrid Leary MP (Co-Chair) and Barbara Kuriger MP (Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians New Zealand Group), Sam Pass (Deputy British High Commissioner), Courtney Johnson (CEO of Te Papa) and Jessica Mutch McKay (TVNZ Political Editor). I also had meetings with the Communications, Consulate and Foreign and Security Policy teams at the British High Commission to learn more about their work and gain more insight into the work of the Commission and how diplomacy differs from other lines of work. It was incredible to hear everyone’s words of wisdom as influential women in leadership roles, and it truly helped me to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and soft power elements of diplomacy as well as equality in the political sphere.
After viewing the Trouble in Paradise exhibition ran by the British High Commission in the National Library with a collection of photos, poems and more of the impacts of climate change in the Pacific Islands, alongside the Deputy British High Commissioner, I hosted a ‘Women in Climate’ dinner for Climate Change NGOs, people working in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Politicians, Advocates, Academics, Antarctic Ice Researchers and more. This dinner was held at Homewood, the residence of the British High Commissioner, and a heritage residence in New Zealand after it’s involvement in the development of Wellington and in the work of leading New Zealand figures in multiple fields. As someone from an island nation who has first-hand experienced the effects of rising water levels and coral reef destruction, this hit really close to home and it was an incredible opportunity to learn more about New Zealand’s climate change policies and the work that is currently being done.
On Wednesday morning, I attended a Women’s Day breakfast graciously hosted by Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians in the Banquet Hall in Parliament, where there were incredible guests such as Jan Tinetti - the Minister for Women, Theresa Gattung CNZM, Right Honourable Helen Clark, Ambassadors from around the world, as well as current and previous MPs and parliamentarians. Being able to talk to these incredible women about their work, experiences, advice and more was truly inspirational and is an event that I will forever cherish.
In conclusion, being British High Commissioner for the Day on International Women’s Day 2022 was an incredibly memorable experience and it truly taught me so many lessons about diplomacy, leadership, equality and much more. It was an experience that I will forever treasure and one that I definitely recommend students to apply for, because of the inspiring women you get to meet, the insight you gain about some of the issues they work on - from free trade agreements to tackling climate change, and the platform it provides to talk about the ways you think are beneficial to improving gender equality not just nationally but globally. The programme that the British High Commission prepares is incredible and it was an immensely humbling experience that I feel honoured to have been a part of.
Ngā mihi nui,
Hawwa
We are thrilled to be able to share Hawwa's video clip and announcement as the winner of the British High Commission's Women's Day competition. Congratulations Hawwa!