Embracing Equity is the International Women’s Day 2023 campaign theme to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren't enough.

“It’s important to understand the difference between equity and equality,” says the President of the Cook Islands Business & Professional Women (CIBPW), Mata Puia.

Equality means each individual group is given the same resources or opportunities - providing the same to all.

“Whereas Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome,” said Puia.

On March 08, CIBPW will be hosting a special event at Tamarind House to celebrate International Women’s Day, men are welcome to attend the event to listen, to learn, and show their support for women, said Puia. 

Women have always been supporting men in their careers and we would like men to do the same for women, she said.

“We’ve been supporting men for generations and now we need them to jump on board and support us.”

Maybe some of them (men) don’t know how to show their support for women, but, its knowing how to be positive and we are opening up the doors for men to be welcomed to BPW to listen, Puia said.

Puia and CIBPW are honoured to have inspiring and distinctive Cook Islands women who are specialised in different professions speak to the audience on the night.

Women who will be presenting on the night are: Elizabeth Iro - Chief Nursing Officer at World Health Organization (WHO), 2. Alanna Smith - Director at Te Ipukarea Society, 3. Niki Rattle (Former Speaker for the Cook Islands Parliament) - the Cook Island’s new Ombudsman, Dr Evangelene Wong - Clinical Psychologist at Te Marae Ora and Harriet Tuara - Women’s Representative with Cook Islands Rugby Union and U18’s Women’s Development team to New Zealand.

The Business & Professional Women are looking forward to see women coming together, networking again and to help uplift others.

Without offending anybody, we should all be pulling each other up and not pulling each other down, Puia said.

Tickets for the evening (5.30pm - 8.30pm) at Tamarind House can be purchased online at the CIPBW Facebook page, members tickets cost $55 and non-members $65.