The Intercultural Women’s Leadership Collective
All spaces for this programme are currently full. If you'd still like to take part, please fill in the form below to join the waitlist.
A collective for migrant- and refugee-background women, co-designed and led by wāhine. Twenty women, two facilitators, seven months, three residentials- building relationships, sharpening your voice, and shaping intercultural leadership in Aotearoa.
Is this you?
Wāhine already carrying leadership at work or in your community, ready for more. Migrant- and refugee-background women, ready to connect and learn together.
You don't need a senior title to belong here.
What's involved
7 months, three in-person residentials plus regular online engagements
20 wāhine in this cohort
1 buddy paired with you for the whole journey
A closing wānanga at Waitangi, over Waitangi Day weekend
Grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a living leadership framework
Who is leading this
This collective is funded by The Clare Foundation and run by Belong Aotearoa.
This collective and the sessions have been shaped and will be led by two facilitators:
ZIENA JALIL
Co-founder, Ethnic Women Entrepreneurs Network
An internationally recognised keynote speaker, moderator and facilitator, Ziena is known for weaving connections between people, ideas and nations — and between the world we have and the world we're capable of building.
In her current role as Deputy Chief Executive – Strategy and Executive Operations at Hato Hone St John, Ziena leads strategy, legal, advocacy, fundraising and international engagement for one of New Zealand's most trusted organisations, with 12,000 people serving more than one million New Zealanders every year. She has previously had senior executive leadership roles in the public and private sectors and won the 2025 global Silver Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year.
Ziena spent a decade living and working across Asia, including as New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore, and received multiple international awards for strengthening New Zealand's trade and education profile and partnerships across the region. She has also served on the boards of the Natural Hazards Commission, Education New Zealand and other public, private and not-for-profit organisations.
KAYE-MAREE DUNN
Kaiwhakahaere - Director of Making Everything Achievable
Kaye-Maree is the Director of Making Everything Achievable, Ahau NZ Limited, and Indigital Blockchain Limited. She is currently on the Interim Māori Spectrum Trust Board, North Hokianga Development Trust, Āhau Tātai Hono Trust, and is a Sir Edmond Hillary Fellow and a Senior Atlantic Fellow through the University of Melbourne.
She has worked in the realm of Māori and Community development for over 21 years and loves being involved in lifting the transformative capability of whānau, hapū, and iwi to actively contribute to the growth of New Zealand’s economic potential.
The dates
All sessions online and in-person are compulsory.
Residential 1 (Tāmaki Makaurau)
Friday 28 August - Saturday 29 August 2026
Residential 2 (Tāmaki Makaurau)
Friday 30 October - Saturday 1 November 2026
Residential 3 (Waitangi)
Friday 5 February - Sunday 7 February 2027
Online engagements in-between including reflections, panel sessions & workshops:
2026:
Wednesday 23 September;
Thursday 8 October,
Wednesday 11 November,
Friday 11 December
2027:
Wednesday 13 January
March TBC
Know a wāhine who should be in this room?
Share with them and make sure they apply today.
For questions, contact Malu Malo-Fuiava, Programme Director, malu@belong.org.nz
All spaces for this programme are currently full. If you'd still like to take part, please fill in the form below to join the waitlist.
FAQs - We’ll update this as we get other questions through from those interested
What are the selection criteria for the cohort?
We're looking for migrant- and refugee-background women who are already carrying some form of leadership. Whether that's at work, in community, or informally amongst your community. You don't need a management title or a "leader" role on paper. If people already turn to you, or you're already organising and holding others together, that counts.
Will there be priority depending on how much leadership experience someone has?
No. We're not ranking applicants by years of experience or seniority. This isn't designed only for middle to senior leaders, and it isn't designed only for those just starting out either. We're building a cohort with a genuine mix: women newer to leadership alongside more experienced ones, because that mix is part of what makes the peer learning and relationship-building work. What we're prioritising is whether someone is actively leading in some capacity now, and whether they're ready to show up fully for the relational, long nature of the programme.
We'll also be considering location as part of selection. Because of how the programme is run, most of the cohort is likely to be based in Auckland, but we still welcome and encourage applications from outside Auckland.
What does this intiative actually involve?
More detail will be shared with confirmed participants, but across the residentials and online sessions, the focus areas include:
Whakapapa & whanaungatanga, Te Ao Māori leadership principles, and Te Tiriti as partnership
Voice and visibility: communications, personal branding, and navigating racism, discrimination, and media and election-year engagement
Leadership and wellbeing, creating impact, and bridge-building projects, through reflection spaces, guest panels, and workshops
A closing wānanga at Waitangi on shared leadership, Te Tiriti as lived experience, and networking
The programme has been designed by Ziena Jalil and Kaye-Maree Dunn, and while there's a clear shape to it, it's also designed to stay responsive to the group; this is about supporting each woman's own leadership journey, not delivering a fixed curriculum.
Are there costs involved?
We cover the residential sessions, accommodation, and some transport support where needed (for example, for the Waitangi residential). If you're based in Auckland, or already have your own accommodation option, you're welcome to opt out of provided accommodation but you'll still need to be present for the full duration of each residential.
The main costs for participants to consider are transport to and from sessions, and time away from work or other commitments to attend residentials and online sessions.
How long are the online sessions, and when are they held?
Online sessions generally run 1–2.5 hours depending on the topic. Exact timing is still being confirmed.
What's expected of participants beyond attending residentials and online sessions?
Mostly, a willingness to show up fully; engaging in discussions, sharing reflections, and staying open to learning and connecting with others. You'll also be given some resources to support your participation, with more detail shared once you're confirmed.
How does the buddy pairing work - do we choose our own buddy?
Pairings will most likely be made by Ziena and Kaye-Maree, though they may adjust their approach once they've met the group. Either way, both Ziena and Kaye-Maree will be available to all participants throughout, and there'll be ways to stay connected beyond the planned sessions.