Some of Police’s remarkable women have been recognised in the 2026 Diversity Awards for their leadership and innovation in their support of our staff.

The ground-breaking Mums in Blue staff network, offering support to women juggling family life and a policing career, won the Gender Equity Award.

Superintendent Tracey Thompson, Tasman District Commander, was joint winner of the Inclusive Leader of the Year Award.

The leading lights of Mums in Blue were at the award ceremony in Auckland on Tuesday (5 May) to receive their award. Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers represented Tracey, who is on leave and could not attend.

Mums in Blue committee member Senior Sergeant Laura Hadwen, from Waitematā, says it was great to see a range of mahi being done from across New Zealand highlighted at the awards.

“There were so many different groups trying to do the right thing, be good people, good organisations and good employers,” she says. “It was phenomenal.

“When you are doing this sort of work you can feel like you’re in your own silo so being in that environment with so many other people was empowering.”

Mums in Blue began with a Facebook group launched in August 2021. It is now a 1300-strong community, administered by a committee with Executive support.

The network was recognised with an award from the Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) last year. Canadian and Australian jurisdictions are establishing or considering their own Mums in Blue networks.

Laura says nominations for awards were confirmation of Police’s support for their work. “It enables us to do more.”

Accepting Tracey’s award on her behalf, Jill said she would be “thrilled but embarrassed” to be in the limelight.

“Tracey has championed tikanga Māori principles forever,” she said. “She has quietly grown into a leader who is looked up to, admired, and is thoroughly deserving of this award.”

Tracey’s Diversity Works award – shared with Ed Collett of Air New Zealand - comes hot on the heels of the announcement that she had received the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) Mentoring and Coaching Award 2026.

The award honours an individual who demonstrates sustained, measurable impact through mentorship, sponsorship, coaching and the advancement of women’s leadership.

“Superintendent Thompson embodies what the IAWP Mentoring and Coaching Award stands for - leadership that opens doors for others and creates the conditions for women to thrive,” says Julia Jaeger, President of the IAWP.

When the award was announced, Tracey said she was humbled. “Helping our people grow has always been central to my leadership,” she said.

“My focus is simple: to look after our people and intentionally grow them into confident, capable leaders. When we invest in people in this way, we build stronger leaders, stronger teams and ultimately stronger communities.”

The IAWP awards will be presented at the IAWP Annual Training Conference, to be held in Bali in September 2026.

What they said about our winners…

From Te Uru Tāngata Centre for Workplace Inclusion, which runs the Diversity Awards:
Mums in Blue has grown from a grassroots network into a community of more than 1300 frontline mothers advocating for change within New Zealand Police. Through collective voice, they have influenced improvements to parental leave, return-to-work support and career pathways - reshaping what it means to be both a police officer and a mother.
Superintendent Tracey Thompson has led cultural transformation within New Zealand Police by embedding tikanga Māori into frontline policing and leadership. In a system not built for inclusion, her courage and persistence have strengthened iwi partnership and created enduring pathways for wāhine Māori leadership across Aotearoa and Australasia.

© Scoop Media