The YWCA is back in Te Pane Matua Taiao, the Greater Wellington region
E Hine Fund for Young Wāhine
Y Greater Wellington is newly revived member association of Y Aotearoa New Zealand. We have launched the fourth funding round of our E Hine Fund to support young women* in Te Pane Matua Taiao, the Greater Wellington region to pursue their aspirations and positively impact young women and their communities.
*Our definition of ‘women’ is intersectional and inclusive. We are for all women - tāngata whenua, Indigenous women and women of colour, trans and queer women, femmes, disabled women, former refugee and immigrant women, and women of every faith, ethnicity, community and economic background. We are for all women being respected, celebrated and embraced for who they are. We take a strong stand against trans exclusionary feminism and firmly reject any form of discrimination or exclusion based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We actively strive to address and dismantle barriers that may hinder inclusivity and equity in our decision making.
Applications for 2025 are now open.
Te Poari O Y Te Pane Matua Taiao | The Y Greater Wellington Board
Asena Tolungamaka - Tumuaki | President
Asena Tolungamaka is a Tongan New Zealander raised in South Auckland. Asena pursued a conjoint Law and Arts degree at the University of Auckland, majoring in Anthropology and Māori Studies. A TupuToa alumna, she interned at Air New Zealand's corporate office as its first HR, Revenue and Employee Experience graduate. She later joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She has received the Prime Minister’s Leadership and Inspiration Award; and the Sunpix Award for Emerging Leader for her contribution to community initiatives.
Natalia Fareti - Kaitiaki o Pūtea | Treasurer
Natalia Fareti is Director Policy at government agency Toitū Te Whenua, Land Information New Zealand. She has worked as an economist in the private sector, and in economic development, policy, strategy and management roles at Local Government New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She is Deputy Chair of the Government Economics Network, and is a Board member of Y Greater Wellington (YWCA). A Pasifika community advocate, she is Co-Chair of the Wellington City Council's Pacific Advisory Group and a Board member of the Wellington Pasifika Business Network. She has facilitated a regional Young Pacific Leaders workshop on Embracing Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights, as well as workshops on Pasifika leadership with youth. She enjoys Star Trek, creative writing, loves dogs, and appreciates good chocolate!
Dr Britt - Mema Poari | Board Member
Aotearoa born and raised, Dr Britt is a Samoan, Cook Island wahine passionate about improving mental health outcomes through a blend of Indigenous wisdom and Western knowledge. Supporting rangatahi, wāhine, and Pacific peoples are central priorities to her way of being alongside enabling our communities to thrive (not just survive). Dr Britt is a doctor specialising in Psychiatry, the youngest trustee on the Malologa Board, author of a blog which highlights open, honest, and vulnerable conversations, and creator of affirmation cards and reflective journals which encourage self-exploration and enhance self-empowerment. She has also recently returned from the UK after completing a Masters in Positive Psychology as a 2024 Chevening Scholarship recipient. Her work is further informed by lived experience with anxiety and burnout as well as her most important roles as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend and future ancestor.
Tylah Farani-Watene - MEMA POARI | BOARD MEMBER
From the uri and villages of Ngāti Maru ki Hauraki, Taputimu, Fai'a'ai and Nofoali'i, Ty has been on a mission to open doors for Māori and Pasifika in the global discourse on sustainable development, believing it starts with harnessing indigenous knowledge. Ty’s advocacy has led her to speak at the UN Foundation's Global Goals Week in New York, recognised in the YWCA's Y25 programme in 2024 and awarded the only Aotearoa New Zealand representative for the Global Citizen Youth Leader Awards 2024. Central to the various kaupapa she serves in is her cherished passion project, VAKA to 2030, a platform designed to foster community and empower South Pacific changemakers to incorporate ancestral knowledge into initiatives advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tylah's most important mission in life is to be a role model for younger sisters, Blayke and Ridley, so they feel confident navigating the world as strong Pacific women.