Her name is Vanisa Dhiru.
Advocate for equity, inclusion & belonging.
Vanisa Dhiru has a strong sense of social responsibility; something that shines through in the roles she has held and the path she has forged in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A Manawatū-born Indian, Vanisa has worked in a variety of advocacy roles throughout her career. While serving the community in both paid and volunteer commitments, she has acquired an astonishing collection of skills across leadership, management, marketing, finance, communication and strategy.
Vanisa is passionate about her work in communities, having served as Chief Executive for Volunteering NZ, and as Executive Director for the 20/20 Trust (now known at Katoa Connect). She served in the role of Chair for the Inspiring Stories Trust during 2012 to 2015.
Between 2017 and 2019, she served as the National President of National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ), using her time in the role to raise its profile, increase the diversity of its membership and advocate at the United Nations.
Connecting people & ideas across sectors.
Vanisa has built a strong reputation for her ability to work across sectors, age and social status, and as a champion for the importance of diversity and inclusivity. She strongly believes that great things can be achieved when different people are brought together to contribute to a common objective, and much of her work is based on making this happen. While she acknowledges the challenges attached to this approach, Vanisa strongly believes it’s more impactful and certainly more rewarding, and the true benefit is the reflection of different groups in the outcome.
She is a connector, with a talent for forging links and enabling collaboration, empowering those with different viewpoints and experiences to work together and build momentum.
Working towards social change within and between communities.
Although much of her work in the last few years has been in advocating for gender rights, Vanisa has broader equity issues fixed firmly in her sights, including race, class, employment, leadership and age equity.
Her determination for inclusion and equity, in New Zealand and globally, has included a paid career focused on digital equity and online harm, supporting a range of policy, funding and communications experts and connecting the wider community with networks, funding and in-kind support.
More about Vanisa.
Vanisa currently holds a number of governance and advisory roles based from Wellington. She has served on more than ten volunteer boards across New Zealand, having chaired three of them. She has been appointed to a dozen national government advisory groups/panels.
She has been recognised for her work for the community locally, nationally and globally. In 2019, Vanisa was appointed to the Manawatū regional Te Aho Tāmaka leadership initiative. She is a member of Global Women NZ, the Institute of Directors, the Wellington Interfaith Council and the global BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network.
She was included in the 2016 Zonta District 16 ‘50 Women of Achievement’ list, and was named a finalist for 2010 Kiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year. She led the NCWNZ delegation at the United Nation’s 70th session of the CEDAW Monitoring Committee in 2018, to advocate for gender equity issues in New Zealand.
In 2020, Vanisa was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit as part of the New Year’s Honours, for services to the community and gender rights.
To speak at events or provide media comments, contact Josie.
She will get back to you!
josie@nsprltd.com
+64 27 779 2252
A gifted communicator, Vanisa is sought after as a public speaker and media commentator.
Whether she’s discussing racism and discrimination, gender-diverse leadership, the importance of Sustainable Development Goals, New Zealand’s changing cultural landscape or moving your career into technology - her wealth of personal and professional experience makes her an engaging and inspiring presence.