On Monday 9 March, TechWomen and Westpac came together across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and online to celebrate International Women’s Day 2026 – and to bring the theme “Give to Gain” to life in the most useful way possible: by sharing practical knowledge we can all apply immediately.
The lunchtime session focused on two areas that directly impact our confidence, safety, and independence – financial wellbeing and cyber security. Because when we invest time, advice, and support in each other, we build stronger networks, create more opportunities, and help our whole community thrive.
The heart of “Give to Gain”: sharing knowledge that protects and empowers
From the opening, the tone was clear: this wasn’t a high-level talk track. It was grounded, real-world insight from the people doing the work every day – helping detect, prevent, and respond to fraud and financial crime, and supporting safer digital behaviours.
A huge thank you to our Westpac panel for their generosity and candour:
- Sara Stockley-Smith — SGO Fraud and Financial Crime
- Meagan Arderne — Senior Manager FinCrime Transaction Reporting Governance
- Jessica Channing — FinCrime Investigations Manager
- Georgia Ricardino — Service Owner Reg Reporting
- Frolaine Tan — Service Owner FinCrime Tech
Key takeaways: what our community wanted to know (and why it matters)
The Q&A (with questions coming through the webinar chat and shared into the room) gave a clear picture of what’s top-of-mind right now for women in tech, finance, and leadership – and what we’re seeing across our whānau, workplaces, and wider communities.
Here are some of the strongest themes that emerged:
- AI scams are here – and they’re getting smarter
Attendees asked directly about whether we’re seeing AI-driven scams and shared examples of how convincing (and unsettling) these attempts can be. The conversation reinforced an important point: scams don’t succeed because people are careless – they succeed because attackers are persistent, adaptive, and increasingly sophisticated. - Privacy isn’t abstract – it’s a daily practice
One practical call-to-action from the session was to make privacy literacy part of everyday life, including understanding our rights and responsibilities. A resource shared during the event for anyone wanting a clear starting point: https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/privacy-law - “What actually works?” Measuring prevention and scam trends
Attendees asked thoughtful questions about what’s effective in the real world, including:
- Whether tools like Confirmation of Payee (CoP) are reducing common payment scams
- Whether scam victim numbers are increasing or decreasing year-on-year
- How teams use insights from current cases to decide what prevention measures to prioritise next
Those questions reflect a broader shift we’re seeing across the TechWomen community: a desire not just to be “aware”, but to be evidence-led and action-oriented – in our personal lives and in the systems we build at work.
- Tools can help – but no single product makes you “safe”
One attendee asked about relying on security software. It was a useful reminder that while tools can reduce risk, cyber safety is best supported through layers: good device hygiene, strong authentication, awareness of social engineering, and knowing what to do quickly if something feels off. - Knowing where to go after an incident is part of being prepared
Support resources matter – especially when someone is dealing with the stress and disruption that can follow identity compromise or a scam. Another helpful link shared in-session was IDCARE: https://www.idcare.org/
A community moment: connection across Aotearoa
One of the best parts of the day was simply seeing the breadth of our community – people joining from across the motu (including Auckland, Dunedin, Timaru, Wellington and more). International Women’s Day can be celebratory, reflective, challenging, energising – often all at once. This event captured that mix, while keeping the focus on what TechWomen does best: turning connection into capability.
Thank you – and what’s next
To everyone who joined in-person or online, asked questions, shared examples, and stayed as the session ran over time – thank you. And to Westpac, thank you for hosting and backing this kaupapa with expertise and openness.
If you’re keen to stay connected with TechWomen, keep an eye out for upcoming events and ways to get involved – whether that’s attending, mentoring, or simply sharing what you know with someone a few steps behind you. That’s “Give to Gain” in action.