PRESS RELEASE: Groundbreaking Study Highlights the Impact of Mentoring for Women in Health, Aotearoa New Zealand

Wāhine Connect is proud to announce the publication of a pivotal article in the New Zealand Medical Journal, titled “Why do women in health seek mentoring—a descriptive study of a mentorship programme for women in Aotearoa New Zealand.” This research sheds light on the transformative role of mentoring in addressing gender-specific challenges within the healthcare sector.

Since its inception in 2017, Wāhine Connect has supported over 800 women, predominantly early-career doctors, through peer mentoring, highlighting the sustained demand for structured, gender-responsive support in healthcare. The study underscores how mentoring helps navigate confidence issues, burnout, and the complex balance between professional and family responsibilities.

Dr Juliet Rumball-Smith, Board Chair and Founder of Wāhine Connect, reflects on the programme’s growth: “When I started Wāhine Connect in 2017, I truly thought I’d be happy if I could help even a handful of women. Never did I think the community would rally such that eight years later, we have helped more than 800 mentees, and all by volunteers. The statistics in this paper show the challenges women working in the health sector face, but importantly they also show the willingness of the wāhine community to provide support.”

The study reveals that Māori and Pacific mentees report higher rates of burnout and confidence issues, while Asian mentees face unique challenges related to immigration and external support systems. These insights highlight the need for tailored mentoring approaches and further research into ethnicity-specific barriers.

Dr Sarah Clarke, Clinical Lead at Wāhine Connect, emphasises the profound impact of mentorship: “Mentoring is most powerful when wāhine are in the thick of it—juggling mahi, whānau, and their own aspirations. It’s not about having all the answers, but about walking alongside someone as they find their own path. I’ve seen how that kind of support can shift the dial—not just in career decisions, but in how wāhine see themselves.”

The findings also suggest that mentoring is a cost-effective strategy for staff retention, addressing root causes of dissatisfaction and burnout, and ultimately supporting the retention of skilled professionals in the health sector.

Full article can be found HERE on the NZMJ Website.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Dr Juliet Rumball-Smith, Spokesperson

E: Juliet@wahineconnect.nz

Ali van Barneveld, Programme Manager

E: info@wahineconnect.nz

Please acknowledge the New Zealand Medical Journal in all articles covering this publication.

PhysioNZ Mentor Spotlight: Alice Barach

Honouring our very own, Dr Alison Barrett!

With the new year comes a new list of New Zealanders whose accomplishments have been recognised with appointments to the New Zealand Order of Merit. This year 183 people have been recognised for serving their community or a significant achievement.

We would like to extend a huge congratulations to Wāhine Connect board member Dr Alison Barrett for having been awarded for her services to women’s health.

Dr Alison Barrett has been contributing to women’s health as a gynaecologist, obstetrician, lactation consultant, sexual health specialist and maternal health advocate for more than 25 years.

Dr Barrett was the Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, Ontario, and Clinical Director of Obstetrics at Waikato DHB. She received the F M Hill Award for Humanitarianism while in Canada, recognising her dedication to compassionate care in patient management. 

She is dedicated to women’s health and community activism and presents internationally and nationally on topics such as women’s rights in childbirth, why breastfeeding matters to maternal, infant and planetary health, and improving health care systems by preventing iatrogenic harms. She has served on an HIV Multidisciplinary working group, the New Zealand National Breastfeeding Committee, as a La Leche League Leader and as a member of the La Leche League New Zealand Board, the Homebirth Association Trust and Wāhine Connect.

 Dr Barrett has written in academic and lay publications with a health justice lens and has taught students of all levels in Canada and New Zealand.

Congratulations Alison, an extremely well-deserved honour. 

Wāhine Connect gets a shout-out from Australia

Last month, the Medical Journal of Australia called for submissions on the topic of “Women in medicine and medical leadership in Australia — is there gender equity?”. One of our amazing mentors (Marie M Bismark) co-authored a letter in response and gave Wāhine Connect a great shout-out. To read the full letter please click here. The letter was also featured in The Age.

Wāhine Connect crushing it on RNZ National Nine to Noon

Wāhine Connect’s founder Dr. Juliet Rumball-Smith speaks to RNZ National’s Kathryn Ryan about our efforts to provide greater visibility of and access to women in leadership positions.