Suffrage Day is celebrated on the 19 September as the commemoration of women in New Zealand successfully petitioning for the right to vote in 1893. 2018 marks 125 years since the movement shaped politics and the make-up of New Zealand society to what it is today. The theme for this year is 'Whakatū Wāhine’, which represents everyone coming together to stand for the rights of women.

The Warehouse Group believes that diversity creates a more productive, creative, and dynamic society, improving our ability to see and connect with the world around us.This is why we are immensely proud to be celebrating Suffrage Day across all of our brands – The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming and Torpedo7.

Suffrage Day is important at The Warehouse Group because it reminds us of the importance of diversity and the richness that comes with that, says Tania Benyon, CEO of Group Sourcing Support and TWL/WSL Merchandise.

“It’s not about the surface level and counting up men vs women. It’s underneath that. If you have true diversity, then what you get is more options and with more options come more diverse viewpoints. If you find a way to filter those through to get good answers, you're going to have a better business.”

Tania encourages The Warehouse Group teams to use Suffrage Day as a chance to reflect on those who have gone before us: “We don’t do this in isolation, somebody had to be the first to stand up, make a change and do something. We need to respect that our path is made a little easier because somebody broke a barrier down, made something okay and was brave enough to do that. Then we must look forward and go ‘but are we still doing that?’ because the jobs not done.”

The strong women in her life have directly influenced to become the women she is today, says Rhiannon Fisk, People Support Service Partner Manager at The Warehouse Group. Her great aunt Gertie was part of the Suffragette Movement in the UK.

“My grandfather remembered Aunty Gertie as being very staunch and firm on her opinions with regards to women’s rights – to her it was very black and white, and she didn’t like to engage in debate about her opinions.”

Aunty Gertie’s influence weighed heavily on Rhiannon’s grandmother, mother and her, with all three women relishing their independence and standing proud for things they believe in.

To open the conversation and encourage dialogue on Suffrage Day and the issues we still have as a society, we have dedicated Suffrage Day to holding events such as Lunch ’n’ Learn sessions, panel discussions and sharing stories of those who have family connections to the Suffragette movement.

Cassie Roma, Head of Content Marketing champions this dialogue: “As women, now more than ever, we are bringing our voices, experiences, stories, and struggles of inequality to the fore.”

Troy Rawhiti-Forbes, Head of Copy at The Warehouse Group, is thankful for what the Suffragette movement did for New Zealand. “We have a stronger, healthier, more vibrant, more inclusive democracy than we would have otherwise. We could be, and I think would be, a very different Aotearoa if we did not have the agitators and activist that we did. My connection is one of gratitude and appreciation - I think we’d be worse off had we not gone there.”

Like New Zealand leading the way for the political rights of women in 1893, The Warehouse Group is committed to leading the way of being an equal opportunities employer for women and men of all ages, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds. As Cassie puts it: “When a business employs anyone, they have a responsibility to them to treat them well, fairly, and with respect. Suffrage Day at The Warehouse Group is a day to celebrate diversity, women, and the business’s commitment to equality & family.”