A growing number of businesses across the New Zealand automotive sector are committing to measurable change by signing the Women in Automotive New Zealand (WIA) Accord. The initiative, launched last year, aims to address the significant underrepresentation of women in the industry, which leaders recognise as crucial for future prosperity and high performance.
Women in Automotive NZ was founded in 2023 and is a sector-wide collective working to increase women’s participation and leadership across the automotive ecosystem. Late last year the group held its first WIA Accord Leadership Summit, a gathering designed specifically for accord member organisation CEOs and senior leaders.
With the New Zealand automotive industry facing a critical skills shortages, technological disruption (electrification, digitalisation), and increasing customer expectations, Women in Automotive NZ looks to address the fact that, while women make up 50% of automotive consumers, they represent only 17% of the total automotive workforce and around 6% of apprentices.
This disparity means women have significantly less influence on product marketing, sales experiences, and leadership decisions, while also leaving half of NZ’s talent pool under-utilised.
The group says that without change the sector risks falling behind in talent, innovation, and customer connection, and that it aims to unite industry leaders, training providers, and employers under a common goal of attracting, retaining, and advancing women across every part of the automotive ecosystem.
To this end, WIA NZ has set the ambitious target to increase workforce participation by women to 30% by 2030, and, to achieve this, the accord is structured around seven foundational principles that signatories commit to:
- A formal Diversity and Inclusion policy.
- Seeking out opportunities to include women and encourage diverse views.
- Taking steps to know and address any gender pay gaps.
- Creating safe and inclusive physical environments.
- Demonstrating a commitment to growing and retaining female talent.
- Parental leave policy, publicly available on the NZ parental leave register at gocrayon.com.
- Committing to "walk the talk" on diversity and championing the kaupapa of Women in Automotive NZ.
The accord has been signed by some of the country’s most prominent automotive businesses, including Armstrongs, Sime Darby, Inchcape, AJ Motors, the Giltrap Group, Automotive Employment and Custom Fleet, while the group is supported by partners Custom Fleet, MITO, Driven Car Guide, the MTA, and the Collision Repair Association (CRA).
Signing the Accord is intended to help businesses develop an action plan, learn from a network of peers, and demonstrate to prospective and current employees that they are committed to being diverse and inclusive organisations.