ANZTSR 2014 The Role of Gender in Building a Resilient City: Examining Christchurch New Zealand

New Zealand has an opportunity to become a global example of the benefits of organizational gender balance by showcasing the Christchurch rebuild as a project that promotes gender diversity. Equal Opportunity policies have not dramatically changed the make-up of corporate boards nor have they resulted in the promotion of women to senior leadership positions. A review of recent research confirms that there are clear organizational benefits to promoting women to decision-making positions and these same benefits can contribute to greater national resilience. The organizations working to rebuild Christchurch need a diversity of perspective to implement creative and innovative strategies for city-wide resilience. The necessary diversity of perspective can be attained through the promotion of women to leadership positions.