Working together to eliminate sexual violence in Aotearoa



Prevention
 
Sexual violence is a huge problem in Aotearoa. The goal of the Louise Nicholas Trust is to stop sexual violence from happening in the first place. In order to prevent sexual violence, we must understand and address the risk and protective factors at the individual, relational, community, and societal levels by working together. Every person has a role to play in preventing sexual violence.

 
 


Safe Eyes
Louise Nicholas Trust has under development a prevention concept we hope to grow into a movement of change.
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Safe @ Work

Sexual harassment is endemic in many workplaces across Aotearoa. Safe@Work is an affordable and accessible subscription based portal of resources (under development) to help employers and employees prevent sexual violence as well as respond to incidents in a safe, trauma informed, survivor-centred way


 
 
 

Did you know every employer and public place in New Zealand has an obligation under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 and Human Rights Act 1993 to be free of Sexual Harassment and Violence
 
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Training

Our workshops focus on prevention and being prepared for and responding to incidents of sexual violence. Workshops are designed to compliment and help strengthen existing processes and support within your organisation.

Donations

We appreciate your contribution to help us help others. Learn more about ways to support us.

Subscription Plans

Corporate, Not for Profit, Small & Medium Business

Louise Nicholas ONZM is a New Zealand campaigner for the rights of women who have been victims of sexual violence.


She has worked as a survivor advocate for Rape Prevention Education and has served on the Tauiwi Caucus of the Executive Committee of Te Ohaakii a Hine - National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together. In 2015, she was the patron of a class of police recruits at the Royal New Zealand Police College and involved in mentoring and advising the recruits during their training. Her mission is to create a safe place for everyone and support sexual violence survivors.

1 in 3
Girls
1 in 7
Boys
1 in 5
Women

Experience Sexual Violence in Aotearoa
They are your whānau too
#zerotogether

Patrons and Ambassador

Alison (Ali) Mau

Senior journalist at Stuff, and editor of the #metooNZ project, investigating sexual harassment in New Zealand workplaces.

She also writes a weekly current affairs opinion column for Stuff and the Sunday Star-Times. Ali has more than 30 years' experience in television, radio and print journalism in Australia, the UK and New Zealand, and for 20 years was host of a number of national news and current affairs programmes for TVNZ.

Sir Jerry Mateparae

Former New Zealand soldier who served as the 20th Governor-General of New Zealand between 2011 and 2016.

A former officer in the New Zealand Army, he was Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force from 2006 to 2011, and then served as the director of the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau for five months in 2011. Following his term as Governor-General,  he was the High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom between 2017 and 2020.

Thomasin McKenzie, (Ambassador)

Thomasin was 13 when she landed her first major screen role in the 2014 telefeature, “Consent”. In 2018, she was praised for her role in the American film “Leave No Trace”, playing a teen living in a forest with her father. Named a "rising young star" that year by The Hollywood Reporter, McKenzie went on to win acclaim for Jojo Rabbit.

Our Board

Vanessa van Uden, Chair

 Vanessa is a Director of Admin & Business Solutions and has extensive Governance experience as a Chair, and as an Independent Director.  Vanessa is a member of the Institute of Directors and was elected to the Queenstown Lakes District Council as a Councillor in 2007 before serving as Mayor from 2010-2016. 

Vanessa has a Master of Business Administration and was awarded an ONZM in the New Year’s Honours 2017 for services to Local Government.  She has founded several charities including the Branches Charitable Trust, the Remarkable Cancer Gym and the Queenstown Lakes Baby Box Trust. She still maintains close contact with these charities and is Chair of the Baby Box and Remarkable Cancer Gym Trusts and Patron of the Branches Charitable Trust. In addition, she is Chair of the Abbeyfield Executive Committee, Pivotal Point Charitable Trust and Shaping our Future Inc and Presiding Member of the Otago Southland Lottery Community Grants Committee. Vanessa is also on the Executive Committee of the Whakatipu Wilding Pine Control Group and a member of the Otago Local Advisory Committee for Fire and Emergency New Zealand. 

Vanessa is very honoured to be part of the Louise Nicholas Trust helping to support individuals and their families and bring about change in our community.












Sarah Stevenson

Sarah Stevenson is our immediate past chair and  remains a trustee.  Sarah was chair through the establishment of Louise Nicholas Trust operations, developing our strategic plan and business plan, and obtaining social sector level 2 accreditation and five years’ funding with the Ministry of Social Development.

Sarah has 25+ years experience in public sector management, leadership, and resource management planning.  She is an accredited resource management commissioner and sits on several hearings panels throughout the motu, as well as the New Zealand Defence Force Operation Respect steering group.

Ken Clearwater

Survivor / Advocate

Ken Clearwater ONZM is a survivor and advocate for survivors of sexual assault.  Ken has 30 years’ experience working with and supporting made a career working with and supporting victims and survivors of sexual abuse.  In 2013, Ken was invited to New York City by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to participate in the first workshop on male victims of sexual abuse.  Ken is currently a Kaitakawaenga (Commissioner) with the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care.

Debbs Murray

 Debbs Murray is a victim survivor of family violence (FV) who has dedicated her career to the FV sector in a variety of roles from advocate, FV death review panel member, systems development, and manager.   Debbs has worked for statutory and non-statutory organisations and has now founded and is the Director of ECLIPSE: Family Violence Services.  ECLIPSE develops and delivers specialist family violence training packages that have victim survivor lived experience embedded into all aspects of the workshops.  Debbs is deeply passionate about coercive control being recognised as a brutal and overarching family violence tactic and is striving for its criminalisation.  Debbs aims to ensure the voice of lived experience is effectively utilised across the family violence sector (and social sector) to inform all aspects of practice, policy and strategy development and systems implementation.  Debbs has a passion for identifying and addressing systemic deficiencies and structural inequity to equalise the healing platform for whanau experiencing violence, while increasing the workforce capability of our family violence frontline in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

Debbs holds a Bachelor of Applied Science with a Psychology Major and Diplomas in Psychology, Child Psychology and Health and Human Behaviour.














Ellie Rose

 Ellie Rose is a 22 year old ADHD musician songwriter and entrepreneur from Taranaki and lives in Wellington. Her whakapapa is to Tūhoe, Ngāti Pūkeko and Ngāpuhi. Ellie Rose has connected to the issues of sexual assault since she was three years old. She played a role in raising awareness during the Wellington musicians’ scandal in 2020. Ellie is gifted with a strong sense of justice and the will to make change by advocating for and helping others to navigate and overcome their circumstances. Ellie Rose is tired of observing the vulnerable being hurt by others who lack the courage to love. She tries her best to give what needs to be felt to empower individuals in their embrace of true happiness.


Vivienne

Vivienne is a public lawyer who lives in Wellington. She is passionate about supporting survivors and their whanau and the wider vision of the Trust.

Shirley McLeod

Shirley McLeod is a management consultant who specialises in leading large and/or complex projects and government initiatives. She recently supported the survivor-led Design Group to develop proposals for a new redress system for survivors of abuse is state and faith-based care.  

Shirley is a member of the Institute of Directors and the Project Management Institute of New Zealand.  She is a mum of two and lives in Wellington. 

Shirley is proud to support the Louise Nicholas Trust and the very important work the team does with survivors and in the community.



Rachel MacGregor

Family Protection, Domestic Violence and International (Hague  Convention) custody cases. Court appointed lawyer for children.


Organisations

We work with.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 25 November

What people say about us