Empowering women against economic harm through industry-led action
Marking its 10th year, the Financial Services Federation’s (FSF) Women in Finance charity lunch has raised $26,825 for Good Shepherd NZ, significantly lifting support for women, girls, and families facing economic harm and financial hardship across Aotearoa.
The sold-out Auckland event on 26 February brought together more than 200 professionals from across the financial services sector, up from the original 20-person networking lunch for senior women.
FSF executive director Lyn McMorran (pictured) says the event reflects both the growth of women in the industry and the federation’s long-standing commitment to financial wellbeing.
“What began as a simple idea – creating a space for senior women to connect during business hours – has evolved into one of the most anticipated events on our calendar,” McMorran said.
Guests heard from Financial Markets Authority chief executive Samantha Barrass and Easy Crypto founder Janine Grainger in a panel hosted by Petra Bagust. Sister Teresa and Sister Mary, who joined Good Shepherd 60 years ago, also shared their long-standing perspective on supporting vulnerable women and families.
Code of Practice tackles economic harm from family violence
The fundraising comes as FSF and Good Shepherd NZ roll out a new Economic Harm Code of Practice to help specialist lenders better identify and support customers experiencing economic harm from family violence, including debts taken out in a customer’s name without their knowledge.
The code sets out how members can recognise and respond to economic abuse – sabotaging, exploiting, or restricting a person’s access to money and assets – by identifying where harm can occur in products and processes, equipping staff to respond safely, limiting opportunities for services to be misused, and prioritising customer safety through clear options, agency, and referrals to specialist family violence support.
“Economic abuse can be more invisible than other forms of family violence, so it is important that lenders and service providers can spot economic abuse and have appropriate processes in place to support their clients,” said Good Shepherd NZ chief executive Tania Pouwhare.
McMorran says the initiative leverages the strengths of both organisations.
“We know organisations like those that belong to FSF are committed to supporting customers experiencing harm and vulnerabilities, so working together to develop a code of practice allowed us to draw on our expertise to create a code of practice that we hope will ultimately help victims,” she said.
Sector momentum and practical tools for lenders
The code, which comes with a companion resource that gives lenders scenarios and options for responding safely when customers are experiencing economic abuse, builds on wider sector momentum. FSF recently celebrating responsible, customer-focused lending at its 2025 Awards, where McMorran highlighted that specialist lenders now serve 1.5 million New Zealanders and are increasingly recognised as an essential part of the lending ecosystem, with further industry codes planned for energy, telecommunications, and financial advice.
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