Join us for our next lunch all about Closing the Gender Retirement Gap: The Role of Employers
We talk a lot about the gender pay gap—but what about the gender retirement gap?
In Aotearoa New Zealand, women are retiring with significantly less. While more women than men are KiwiSaver members and contribute at the same average rate, women contribute 36% less annually on average, and their KiwiSaver balances are 25% lower. This gap isn’t just about unequal pay. It’s about the cumulative impact of systemic issues including time out of paid work to care for whānau, unpaid caregiving, necessary part-time work, and the undervaluation of women-dominated industries and roles.
Source: Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
This month’s Gender at Work lunch explores how employers can play a crucial role in closing the retirement gap. While KiwiSaver has helped many build their retirement savings, it’s not serving everyone equally. With women living longer and retiring with less, how can workplaces help to shift the system and support financial security and dignity for all?
Join us for an insightful panel conversation and Q&A facilitated by our CEO, Dellwyn Stuart, featuring:
Tracey Cross, FSC Empower Women
Tracey has extensive experience in financial services law and regulatory compliance, corporate governance, risk and strategy. Alongside her legal practice, Tracey provides tailored and strategic advice to Boards, businesses and their teams on good governance. She is passionate about governance with purpose and believes good conduct and culture are key to competitive and sustainable business. She is an Independent Director of AIA New Zealand, Mint Asset Management and Tony Mounce Mortgages and is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.
Her passion for purpose and impactful change drives her interest in the empowerment of women. She was the founding Chair of DLA Piper New Zealand’s Leadership Alliance for Women for seven years—a gender-balance network focused on building leadership and networking skills in women and supporting more women into partnership. As a founding member and Chair of Women in Super, a not-for-profit organisation focused on raising the financial awareness and well-being of women, she recently led the merger of WiS into the Financial Services Council—launching FSC Empower Women, which she continues to co-chair. She is also the co-founder and Chair of the Financial Services Council’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Kate Hannah, Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission
Kate is Stakeholder Lead, Te Ara Ahunga Ora, where she is responsible for leading the National Strategy for Financial Capability in conjunction with partners across industry, peak bodies and regulators, ministries and agencies, communities and NGOs. With a deep focus on financial inclusion, they are part of the Stakeholder and Communications team, which enables the delivery of frontline programmes across the motu that support whānau and communities in developing resilience and growth for collective benefit. From Sorted to policy white papers on gender disparities in KiwiSaver accounts, Kate is delighted to be part of a small but passionate organisation that is committed to inclusion and wellbeing.
Kate came to the role from a career in government and community relations and the tertiary sector, focused on social cohesion, social media and AI, and access to information. She is experienced in ensuring research and insights are accessible for decision-making, strategic communications, and public engagement and consultation.
Kristin Sutherland, enable.me
Kristin is a financial coach at enable.me and the author of Dare to Retire Free – Take Off for a Fun-Filled, Not Time-Filled Retirement. She works with professionals to plan for retirement in a way that reflects their values and the kind of life they want to lead beyond work. Kristin brings a strong foundation in property, wealth-building, and retirement strategy, and sees it as a privilege to support her clients as they make important financial decisions. Her approach focuses on helping people shift from a mindset of working for time to one centered on purpose, balance, and personal fulfillment.
Together, we’ll unpack:
What’s driving the gender retirement gap in Aotearoa
Why this is more than a personal finance issue and matters to employers
What employers can do to make a meaningful difference—from KiwiSaver contributions and parental leave to pay transparency and financial wellbeing education
We warmly invite you to join us for this important kōrero. Please feel free to invite anyone from your networks who may be interested.