We’re celebrating International Women’s Day by recognising kiwi women doing amazing things for our rangatahi in youth health and development.

Please join us in recognising these amazing wahine.

Dame Sue Bagshaw is a legend in the field of youth health. For over two decades Sue has been the foundation of Youth Health and Development both nationally and internationally. Sue dedicated her time ensuring NZ was recognised as a vital champion for youth globally and bringing this skill and knowledge to reality in practice for professionals and outcomes for young people.Sue was instrumental in the establishment of SYHPANZ as a professional body for Youth Health clinicians to support networking to reduce isolation and upskill with the latest research and evidence-based practice. Sue also supported this collective to be visible and vocal towards policy impacting on outcomes for young people across the continuum of their development from 12 -25yo inclusive of all diversities.Dr Sue Bagshaw (BSc (Hons) MB BS FRACShM Hon FRNZCGP CNZM) is the Senior Medical Officer at Christchurch’s 298 Youth Health Centre, Founding Director of the Collaborative Trust, a Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics at Otago University, worked for the Family Planning Association for 20 years, worked for ten years part-time on the Methadone programme in Christchurch, and an internationally acknowledged expert in youth health. Sue has also been involved with research and training in adolescent and sexual health over the last 30 years.

Dr. Terryann Clark (Ngāpuhi) is a registered comprehensive nurse with extensive experience in youth health, community health, sexual health, health promotion, youth mental health, and Māori health.She is a founding member of the Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG) and was the principal investigator of the Youth’12 national youth health and wellbeing survey in secondary schools www.youthresearch.auckland.ac.nz and co-lead of the Youth19 survey. She led an HRC project exploring the influence of whanaungatanga on rangatahi Māori outcomes – for publications and resources see www.youth19.ac.nz.Terryann is also a Co-chair of Te Tatau Kitenga, which has been established to provide expert advice and recommendations to the Ministry of Health on youth-related topics and services, especially for our priority groups: rangatahi Māori, Pacific young people, rainbow rangatahi, rangatahi in care and rangatahi with disability.

Dr. Bridget Farrant is a member of the Executive Committee of SYHPANZ, whose mission is to promote and enhance the development of youth health practitioners and services for young people in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is also the Co-chair for Te Tatau Kitenga a group established to provide expert advice and recommendations to the Ministry of Health on youth-related topics and services, especially for our priority groups: rangatahi Māori, Pacific young people, rainbow rangatahi, rangatahi in care and rangatahi with disability. Bridget is an Adolescent Health Physician working at Counties Manukau and has been there for some years working out of the Centre for Youth Health which is part of Kids First. She also works at Auckland University as part of the post-graduate youth health programme and part of their youth health research group.

Dr. Jess Allen is the SYHPANZ Chairperson, an organisation whose vision is that all young people will be able to thrive in Aotearoa New Zealand. By promoting and enhancing the development of youth health practitioners and services for young people. Jess is a paediatrician at Hutt Hospital in Wellington specialising in adolescents, neurodisabilities, and child protection. “I am passionate about all rangatahi in Aotearoa having access to high-quality health services and equitable health outcomes.”

Thank you all for being youth health champions.