Auckland University to Host 10 Virtual Internships for Indian Female Students

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 15 March 2022

The University of Auckland will offer virtual micro internships to up to ten Indian women students, according to Education New Zealand (ENZ). Additionally, 25 female high school students will be chosen for the virtual exchange program, which will earn them the Global Competence Certificate.

ENZ said, “A four-week virtual immersion programme for 16 Indian women students from New Zealand universities which will be conducted by Symbiosis International University. The immersion programme is a step in the direction of strengthened cultural ties and enhanced learning experiences for students.”

In honour of Worldwide Women's Day, the organisation organised its first-ever international women's day summit, "Women of the Future." “Research indicates that good gender equality is for everyone and key to not just achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, but also boost economic growth, enhance productivity, improve development outcomes for the next generation, and make institutions more representative,” said David Pine, New Zealand's High Commissioner to India, during the event.

He further said, “The opportunity in India seems to be enormous. McKinsey has estimated that if women’s participation were fully equal to men’s, the country’s GDP could rise by as much as 60 per cent. That would mean an overall gain of almost 3 trillion dollars, which is over two thousand dollars per person. In New Zealand, we also have a long way to go. The same estimates done for New Zealand show a potential gain of 25 per cent. It’s hard to imagine another area of policy with so much untapped potential”.

Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion, and Ethnic Communities, stated, “To address some of the barriers and challenges like the gender pay gap, we need employers to understand and value diversity – and also take tangible steps to be more inclusive. So that means embedding diversity and inclusion in workplace practices. We all have a role to play across various sectors to take collective action to address barriers to women’s participation.”