New Harassment Law a Step Forward for Women’s Safety - YWCA Calls for Continued Action This #OrangeTheWorld

Published by YWCA Aotearoa New Zealand National Board

YWCA Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes the passing of the Crimes Legislation (Stalking and Harassment) Amendment Bill, which makes stalking a specific criminal offence under the Crimes Act 1961. The YWCA describes the reform as a critical step toward improving safety for women, girls, and gender-diverse people across the motu.

 The change comes at a pivotal moment, aligning with the global #OrangeTheWorld campaign to end gender-based violence.

“It is difficult to know where to turn for help for many women. As we know, in New Zealand and around the world, domestic violence is at alarming rates and is unacceptable. This legislation will hopefully assist in proving a place to turn when help is needed.”

- Charlotte Muggeridge, YWCA National Co-President

The new legislation recognising the undeniable harm of harassment is a significant and encouraging step.

YWCA Whangārei President and National Board Member Toni Corby-Brown says the reform acknowledges what women, especially young women, have been warning about for years. The new legislation recognising the undeniable harm of harassment is a significant and encouraging step

“This positive shift is a direct response to the meaningful calls to action from women, particularly young women, across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our focus now is to ensure this law translates into safer homes, workplaces, and communities for all women, especially wāhine Māori, as we continue our campaign to eliminate violence against women and children.”

-Toni Corby-Brown, YWCA Whangārei Board President, and National YWCA Board Member

Local YWCAs see the impact daily

Young advocate and YWCA Auckland employee Lola Fisher says the reality of harassment is something YWCAs witness every day in their mahi with young people. She notes that both online and in-person harassment are quietly reshaping how rangatahi live and participate.

“This change closes a gap that young people, especially young women, have been navigating for years.

Stalking and harassment chip away at our sense of safety, especially for rangatahi who spend so much of life online. 

The new law gives our communities a clearer way to call this behaviour what it is, harmful, deliberate, and unacceptable. Stronger protections mean our experiences finally carry weight, and that matters for every young person trying to move through the world without fear.”

- Lola Fisher, YWCA Auckland

The passing of this law marks an important acknowledgment of that reality. The voices of young women must guide "what comes next". But for real change to take hold, the voices, experiences, and leadership of young women must guide what happens next. Their insight is essential for shaping prevention, education, and safety responses that reflect the communities most affected.

National YWCA Board Member and young woman, Hawwa Niyaz, says: "This law is an important step towards naming and addressing harm that shapes the everyday realities many young women experience. But, this is only the beginning. We need education, visibility, and support pathways that work for our communities. This requires the leadership and insight of young women themselves, training and prevention work, support pathways that reflect the cultures and identities of our communities, and digital safety responses that actually move the needle for young people.”

- Hawwa Niyaz, YWCA Aotearoa New Zealand Board Member

For many women and young people, recognising coercion, monitoring, and repeated unwanted contact as serious forms of violence is a crucial step toward safety and justice. This context is reflected in the words of YWCA Hamilton Board Member Shree Kumar: 

“Stalking and harassment disproportionately affect wāhine Māori, migrant women, and young women. This law is an important step forward, and its impact will grow as we equip wāhine to know their rights, recognise unsafe behaviour, and access support. It opens the door to the cultural and behavioural change our communities need.”

- Shree Kumar, YWCA Hamilton Board Member

A Collective Stand Across Aotearoa

On behalf of the YWCA Collective, the National Aotearoa says this moment should be treated as a turning point not a finish line.

This #OrangeTheWorld, we celebrate a hard-won victory for women’s safety. But the work is far from done.

Harassment doesn’t end because a bill passes. It ends when institutions respond, when communities intervene, and when young women no longer have to calculate risk every time they walk home or open their phone.

We will continue pushing for a future where young women can participate fully and freely without fear.