This year’s Women’s Development Forum (WDF) was held on 28–29 July at Ohakea. Held annually since 2006, this year’s Forum was attended by over 100 women representing the Air Force, as well as the Army and Navy. We were also joined by a number of external guests, including representation from the Royal Australian Air Force and the Police. Several men attended, enjoying the opportunity to participate in the forum.
Standing proud
The WDF aims to support, encourage and contribute to the development of our women, to help them realise their full potential within the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the wider Defence Force, and ultimately lead to more women at senior rank levels in our organisation.
This year’s theme was Leading: Yourself, Your Peers, Your Boss. With the significant level of change we are currently experiencing within our organisation, it was useful to take a couple of days to reflect on and develop strategies for leading the Defence Force through this, particularly by focusing on our ability to influence that change.
The calibre of speakers was exceptionally high again this year. Highlights included the Hon Judith Collins, Air New Zealand’s CIO Julia Raue, and the then Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy, who was the keynote speaker at the Dining In. These women all shared their very valuable insights into leadership, and had a lot of handy hints for participants. There were many other speakers from within the Defence Force who shared their own unique experiences and insights, and group sessions were held both days to put some of it into practice. Special thanks to Wing Commander Leanne Woon and Squadron Leader Emma Holderness for organising such an excellent forum. There was something for everyone this year—so watch this space for details of next year’s Women’s Development Forum.