The results are in – just in time for International Women’s Day – and we can now reveal the category winners of the Women in Security Awards Aotearoa 2025!
In its fifth year, Women in Security Awards Aotearoa (WiSAA) has once again proven a challenge for its judging panel, with a high quality field of nominees from across New Zealand’s security and resilience sector.
Organised by Defsec New Zealand and supported by the New Zealand Security Sector Network (NZSSN) and several security sector industry and professional associations, the WiSAA initiative was established in 2020 to recognise women who are leading the way in protecting New Zealanders.
This year also sees the Awards partner with UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand to raise awareness around issues of security, safety, and resilience in the context of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
“The nominees in the 2025 cohort continue to demonstrate the high calibre of security and risk practitioners across Aotearoa New Zealand.”
“It’s not only inspiring to read the nominations that have been submitted this year but also quite moving to say the least,” said judging panel representative and 2020 WiSAA alumna Ngaire Kelaher CPP PSP.
“The quality of the submissions have been exceptional and it reinforces why recognition opportunities such as the Women in Security Awards Aotearoa are vital to the sector – not only to provide a means to have these amazing individuals recognised but also to share their stories, uplift and inspire others, and celebrate the amazing work that is being done in Aotearoa.”
Nominees must be women, or identify as women, and be actively practising in Aotearoa New Zealand or working overseas in a New Zealand-focused role. This year’s WiSAAs winners are spread across seven categories.
Above: Winners (L-R) Associate Professor Anna Powles (Massey University), Danica Young (New Zealand Police), Jill Priest (FIRST Security), and Andrea Leask (Netsafe).
Selected as the top-ranking finalists in their respective categories, the category winners and award recipients of the 2025 Women in Security Awards Aotearoa are:
1. Contributing to defence and international security:
Associate Professor Anna Powles, Massey University.
2. Countering incivility and violent extremism:
Kristina Kirk, Christchurch Call.
3. Safeguarding networks and people online:
Andrea Leask, Netsafe.
4. Preventing crime and protecting communities:
Danica Young and Sophia Bogiatto, New Zealand Police.
5. Securing organisations and infrastructure:
Shirin Kiff, Transdev.
6. Combatting fraud and misrepresentation:
Sara Stockley-Smith, Westpac.
7. Responding to natural disaster events:
Jill Priest, FIRST Security.
“The nominees in the 2025 cohort continue to demonstrate the high calibre of security and risk practitioners across Aotearoa New Zealand,” said Andrew Thorburn, WiSAA co-founder and NZSSN representative.
“These nominees and their stories also provide evidence of how relevant and important these awards are,” he said.
Ngaire Kelaher, WiSAA 2025 Judging Panelist and ASIS International Regional Vice President.
According to the organisers, this year’s WiSAA category winners and highly commended finalists have been notified of their achievement, and several of them will be presented with their award certificates today as part of their organisations’ International Women’s Day events.
Their inspirational stories will be featured in an upcoming series of features in New Zealand Security Magazine and Line of Defence Magazine.
