Tania Pouwhare

Tania (Tūhoe) has 30 years of experience across Aotearoa and the UK in roles spanning policy, campaigning, community innovation, and economic equity.

Tania gravitates toward tackling complex social and economic issues. She has pioneered work introducing social procurement in Aotearoa and she co-founded Amotai and led system-change initiatives at The Southern Initiative, a social innovation team at Auckland Council focused on Māori and Pasifika whānau. Earlier in her career she worked in policy and research at Women’s Refuge in Aotearoa and was Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Women’s Resource Centre in London working on third sector infrastructure.

She is a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Fellowship for Social Equity, an Honorary Fellow of Engineering NZ, and in 2024 was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and Pasifika communities and the environment. She is a current board member of Ngā Toki Whakarururanga and Te Whāngai Trust.

Born and raised in Aotearoa, Tania’s work is anchored in her belief that fair, equitable and just systems create opportunities for women and girls to thrive.