Applications are now open for the Ria McBride Public Service Management Award for women, sponsored by the State Services Commission. 

This is the tenth year in which this award has been offered.  The Ria McBride Public Service Management Award was established to help women who have already demonstrated potential to advance to higher levels of responsibility in the Public Service.  This award is open to women who are employed in the Public Service and who show the aptitude to move into senior management.

This award honours Ria McBride - the first woman appointed Chief Clerk of the Public Service Commission (which preceded the current State Services Commission). Ria McBride worked for the Public Service Commission from 1946 to 1960. She then became the first non-Maori to be appointed to the Maori Welfare Division of the Maori Affairs Department, serving as Administration Officer there from 1960 to 1967, when she became head of the Housing Division. Upon her 'retirement' in 1970, she pursued equal employment opportunities for women, as a founder member of the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women. In this role she helped set up the Accident Compensation Commission. From 1978 to 1980 she was one of the first full-time human rights commissioners.

The New Horizons for Women Trust administers the award, along with various other awards for individual women undertaking second-chance education or training and for individual women, women's groups, or community groups carrying out research on issues of importance to women.

For further information on the award and how to apply, please go to the website of the New Horizons for Women Trust. www.newhorizonsforwomen.org.nz/ria-mcbride-award/