FSC’s It Starts With Action Campaign Shifting The Dial For Wāhine In New Zealand

The Financial Services Council [FSC]’s It Starts With Action campaign to grow women’s financial confidence and wellbeing is now over halfway through. So far, the campaign has demonstrated some exceptional results, including:

• Nearly 100 supporters committed to taking action;
• 60+ events and activities undertaken;
• Over 2,000 people registered for FSC events;
• 1,303 live attendees at FSC events;
• Total potential reach of 43.1M (across earned media, social media, events and campaign communications);
• 22 media engagements;
• 5 money myths videos released; and
• 3 conversation cards created to get conversations about money going in workplaces whānau and communities in both English and te reo Māori.

The three-month campaign, consisting of six fortnightly themes, is being undertaken in partnership with Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission. Over the course of the campaign, the FSC aims to make impactful change to the financial confidence and wellbeing of New Zealand women.

“FSC research released in December 2021 showed that 80% of women rated their financial wellbeing as moderate to very low, and this campaign is all about changing those numbers,” says It Starts With Action project lead Clarissa Hirst.

“We have been hugely encouraged and humbled by the enthusiastic support and commitment to the campaign.”

“It's clear there’s a lot of momentum behind the objective to shift the dial for women’s financial wellbeing, so the FSC is focused on bringing together people and organisations who are doing incredible work, and creating a platform for all of us to make a collective impact through tangible actions.”

The FSC also recently launched its inaugural It Starts With Action Summit in late July. This culmination of the three-month campaign will be a reflective and action-focused event with attendees making a pledge of commitment to continued action.

FSC CEO Richard Klipin is looking forward to the Summit as an important milestone.

“This event will spotlight some of the incredible actions that have been taken over the three month campaign and celebrate those who have supported it from the beginning,” he says.

“We’ll also be using the Summit as an opportunity to reflect and pledge our commitment as an industry to progress the conversations that have been started as a result of the campaign, whether that be through ongoing events and activities, policy recommendations, research, or a combination of all three.”

“This event is not the end of the FSC’s commitment to growing women’s financial confidence and wellbeing – it's simply the beginning, and we’re really excited about the future.”

“This is why the pledge of commitment to continued action is so important – we want this campaign to have a long-term, far-reaching impact to really shift the dial on women’s financial wellbeing in New Zealand,” says Klipin.

The It Starts With Action Summit will be held on Thursday 28 July at the Park Hyatt in Auckland.

It Starts With Action campaign highlights

So far, the campaign has:

• Supported the launch of an NZIER report for Kiwi Wealth about the gender retirement gap.
• Supported the launch of Good Shepherd New Zealand and Auckland University of Technology’s Healthy Financial Relationships Toolkit.
• Generated powerful in-person and online conversations about financial wellbeing through face-to-face events, webinars and social media.
• Fostered internal kōrero within supporting organisations including AA and AA Money, ANZ New Zealand, Trustees Executors, SHIFT Advisory, Whai Rawa, Forsyth Barr and Mint Asset Management.
• Supported Founding Champion Mercer in its launch of The Table.
• Supported the launch of tech startup and Founding Supporter Crayon, a platform that aims to support parents navigate the financial challenges of starting a family.
• Launched family and te reo Māori editions of the Money Talks conversation starter cards that made their way onto Seven Sharp on 2 May.
• Engaged with political leaders regarding the campaign, including National’s Deputy PM Nicola Willis.
• Inspired Founding Supporter Forsyth Barr to implement regular online sessions for their staff until the end of 2022.
• Inspired Founding Champion ANZ NZ to create a schedule of upcoming internal and external events including a women and investing webinar.

For more information about the It Starts With Action campaign, visit fsc.org.nz/it-starts-with-action

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