Meat Industry Women Leading The Charge

Meat Business Women (MBW) New Zealand have appointed two young and upcoming co-chairs to lead the organisation into 2022 and beyond. The announcement of the new co-chairs is timely as the organisation celebrates International Women’s Day today, Tuesday 8 March.

Julia Gardner, Marketing Manager for Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc and Abigail Delaney, Communications Advisor for Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd are excited to co-chair the organisation which is part of the global Meat Business Women network.

“As a traditionally male-dominated sector, the industry can be tricky to navigate as a woman. Meat Business Women seeks to challenge stereotypes and highlight pathways forward. The Meat Business Women community champions connection and collaboration. It allows women to share knowledge, experiences and find long-term career support,” says Gardner.

“Knowing there is a network of women nationally, not to mention globally, makes Meat Business Women so valuable. Whether you’re looking to be a mentor or be mentored, finding yourself amongst like-minded, inspiring women is extremely empowering. It is exciting to be a part of a global network of women who support each other, and we’re ready to lead it forward for the New Zealand meat sector,” adds Delaney.

Laura Ryan, global chair of Meat Business Women, says that Meat Business Women is there to offer mentorships, masterclasses and networking opportunities, whilst also tackling diversity within the industry.

“The ultimate goal is to assure sustainability of our sector by attracting and retaining the best possible talent. We have three objectives: to improve the image of the industry to women; nurture new entrants through education and mentoring; and improve networking. To achieve a significant, long-term perception shift we need to develop gender and diversity inclusion toolkits and resources.”

The industry – businesses and individuals – are encouraged to download the digital resources from the Meat Business Women website, share the campaign videos and post their own #shelookslikeme content. For more information and to join the Meat Business Women community for access to all initiatives, mentoring platforms, masterclasses and priority access to events, visit www.meatbusinesswomen.org.

For more information about Aotearoa New Zealand’s meat industry and the varied roles within, visit www.meatyourcareer.co.nz

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