Speakers in the House

From year to year Weaving House hosts & platforms speakers who have knowledge & experience of feminist issues. They are leaders, thinkers, change makers, entertainers with a conscience, they are experts. Below you’ll find past speakers in the house.

Dame Margaret Sparrow: DNZM MBE New Zealand medical doctor, reproductive rights champion & author.
Rae Duff ONZM BSc Dip Ed. Former President National Council of Women New Zealand. 
Professor Barbara Lesley Brookes MNZM FRSNZ: New Zealand historian & academic.
Barbara specialises in women’s history & medical history. 
Author of A History of New Zealand Women 2016.
Professor Jennifer Curtin– Making New Zealand Parliament a Parliament for Women. Jennifer Curtin is a New Zealand public policy academic.
Paula Penfold: New Zealand investigative journalist.

Lillian Tahuri: Lillian’s expertise is in strategy, planning & implementation of gender equality, diversity & inclusion & legislative treaty obligations & commitments. Past board member of UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand National Committee.
Morgan Weathington: Teaches Bioscience, is a midwife.
Co-ordinator of the Wānaka Maternal and Child Hub.
Rachel Froggatt: Former CEO of Women in Sport Aotearoa.
Terry Bellamak: Former president of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa.
Sarah Trotman ONZM: Businesswoman, director, celebrant & community advocate. Sarah has been a member of the Waitematā Local Board of Auckland Council since 2019.
Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo: Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Acting Race Relations Commissioner and Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner.
Dame Farah Rangikoepa Palmer DNZM: is a professor at Massey University & a former captain of New Zealand’s women’s rugby union team, the Black Ferns.
Dame Marilyn Waring DNZM: New Zealand public policy scholar, international development consultant, former politician, environmentalist, feminist & a principal founder of feminist economics.
Michelle Duff: New Zealand journalist who covers social issues
with a focus on health, maternity, gender, & sexual violence.
Michèle A’Court: ONZM a New Zealand comedian, writer & feminist.
Dr Deborah Russell: New Zealand academic & politician.
Noeline Munro: First NZ Woman to become a full member of the NZ Stock Exchange. First Woman to Chair the Chamber of Commerce,
First Woman to establish an NZ stockbroking business.
Recipient of Suffrage medal 1993.
Liz Breslin: A writer, editor & performer. Liz’s poem collections include In bed with the feminists.
The Fan Brigade: An award-winning musical stand up comedy duo in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Julie Anne Genter: Is a New Zealand politician & was Minister for Women with (2017–2020)
Suz O’Neil: Teacher & Early childhood educator of the educators.
Vicki Spearing: Member of Wao Wānaka, an organisation dedicated to a regenerative future. Delivering climate action events & educational programs that inspire, educate & enable communities to live in balance within a thriving, diverse ecosystem.
Anna van Riel: Co founder of Plastic Free Wānaka on the heals of ‘Bag the habit’, a campaign initiated by local Sophie Ward. Launching a series of waste-free initiatives to support community, the team have delivered a variety of community workshops & events. Anna is also an NZ indie/folk & children’s musician.
Jan Logie. Former Member of Parliament. Feminist. Leading advocate for addressing gender based violence, paid parental leave and improving the welfare system.
Prue Kapua (Former ) National President at Te Ropu Wahine Maori Toko I Te Ora Māori Women’s Welfare League.
Sue Kedgley ONZM . Former New Zealand politician, food campaigner & author, the most recent being ‘Fifty Years of Feminism’. Sue helped to bring women’s liberation to New Zealand in the early1970’s.
Professor Judith Pringle : Founder of the Gender and Diversity Research Group. Pay Equity & Equal Pay.
Dame Sukhinder Kaur Gill Turner: DNZM. First woman mayor of Ōtepoti Dunedin.
Professor Nicola Gavey: A critical social psychologist & registered clinical psychologist, specialising in the intersections of gender, power, & sexuality. She conducts qualitative research related to sexual violence, gendered abuse, & sexual violence prevention.
Lisa Lawrence (Ngati Ruapani, Ngati Kahungunu): Former National President of the National Council of Women-New Zealand (NCWNZ), an umbrella group leading the Gender Equal NZ conversation campaign.
Dame Juliet Ann Gerrard DNZM FRSNZ: New Zealand biochemistry academic. Juliet is a professor at the University of Auckland & the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor.
Emma McInnes: Chair of Women in Urbanism Aotearoa.
Alexa Forbes: Regional Councillor at Otago Regional Council with a focus on environmental & community regeneration.
Heather Henare: Former CEO of Women’s Refuge & Skylight Trust.
Dellwyn Stuart: CEO of YWCA & a co-founder of the Mind the Gap campaign.
Reetah Mitchell: Co-Team Leader ‘Days For Girls’ Christchurch who mobilise to increase access to menstrual products & vital health information for women & girls. Reetah is also a volunteer for Christchurch Aunties which helps mobilise, donate, & coordinate to help families at the women’s refuges in the city.
Associate Professor Anna Powles: is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies. Dr Powles specialises in geopolitics & security in the Pacific Islands region.
Professor Nicola Gaston FRSNZ: Co-Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, since 2018. Elected President of the New Zealand Association of Scientists in 2014 and 2015. Author: Why Science Is Sexist.
Stella Bogdanoff: 2016 Recipient of three NZQA scholarships, two of them for drama & her art portfolio. Stella’s interests were justice, gender equality & politics.
Louise Nicholas:  ONZM. New Zealand campaigner for the rights of women who have been victims of sexual violence. 
Tamatha Paul: Advocate for sexual violence prevention in tertiary spaces. Elected first Māori woman to lead the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Tamatha won a seat on the Wellington City Council. In 2023, Tamatha ran for Parliament & won the seat for Wellington Central having run the largest grassroots electorate campaign. Tamatha is the first Māori MP for Wellington Central.
Meg Rayner-Thomas: Women’s Health Action New Zealand – Women’s Health, Body Image.
Margaret Pittaway: Councillor & board member at Rural Women New Zealand.
Dr Kayla Stewart: Kayla’s PhD (recognised as exceptional) examined the sexual victimisation of students at a New Zealand university.
Beck Parnham: Social Enterprise, ethical fashion & sustainable shopping.
Nina Powell: B.Sc. Somatic sexologist, sex coach & practitioner of the erotic arts. Specialising in life transitions & sexual trauma.
Laura Williamson: Is a writer & poet. Laura is also the former editor of Spoke mountain bike magazine. Co/Founder of 1964 magazine.