#METOO DOWNUNDER

Ali Mau is an award-winning journalist and writer and a thought-leader for inclusion and equity in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In a 20-year career as a news and current affairs anchor, Ali became one of the country’s most recognised faces as host of Breakfast, One News, Seven Sharp and Fair Go. A long-time advocate for women’s rights in Aotearoa, in 2018 Alison created the #MeTooNZ journalism project at Stuff, publishing many major investigations over five years, and changing the way sexual harassment is reported by media, using a trauma-informed and survivor-focused kaupapa. In 2021, Alison was awarded Reporter of the Year for her leadership of the project, with judges at the Voyager Awards commending her ‘fearless, determined pursuits that deserve the highest commendation’. In 2023, Ali became the co-founder of Tika, a tech-based charity created to bring free legal help to survivors of sexual harm.

Sonia Orchard is an award-winning author, freelance writer, speaker, writing teacher/mentor and survivor advocate. She writes and speaks about social justice, gendered violence and the environment, drawing upon both research and her lived experience of sexual abuse and domestic violence. In addition to Groomed, she is the author novels, Into the Fire and The Virtuoso, which won the Indie Award for Best Debut Fiction of 2009. She has degrees in music, literature, environmental science/marine biology and a PhD in creative writing. Sonia lives with her husband, their three children and many pets on Wurundjeri country (in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges), on unceded land, one hour from Naarm/Melbourne. She works with her pets sleeping at her feet, a cup of cold Earl Grey tea on her desk, and a view of Geboor/Mt Macedon out the window.

Dr Nikki Evans is manager of Hikitia! RISE’s Family Violence and Sexual Violence Prevention mahi (work). Nikki has worked in the sexual violence and family violence fields for about 30 years – in direct practice as a senior therapist working with young men who had engaged in harmful sexual behaviour with STOP in Ōtautahi I Christchurch, through prevention initiatives, providing training, carrying out practice-focused research, co-authoring and illustrating a range of therapeutic books for young people and, more recently, as principal advisor to the Chief Social Worker, Oranga Tamariki. Nikki spent just over 20 years working as an academic, and prior to her time at Oranga Tamariki was a Senior Lecturer in Social Work practice, policy and research at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | The University of Canterbury.