The free to lead toolkit was developed jointly between the Ministry for Women and Netsafe, and launched on 1 May 2025 at the Local Government New Zealand conference.
It was identified that there was a need for simple and informative resources to support women experiencing online harm, as stories about lived experience and research were highlighting the rise in online harm over the last decade towards those in the public eye.
As part of the development work, the Ministry facilitated a range of engagement with women with lived experience, non-governmental organisations, and those involved in the safety, legal, and community support space to hear how a suite of resources might best support people experiencing online harm.
A powerful video series, Beyond the Keyboard, was also produced featuring seven New Zealand women in the public eye, including entertainers, businesswomen, and community leaders, who share their experience navigating the online world.
Thank you to all those who were involved in the development of the toolkit for sharing their experiences and providing expert advice to help shape the toolkit.
Women’s safety from violence is a key priority for the Ministry, and increasingly the focus was on the impacts of online harm. Since 2024, the Ministry has been working on its Long-term Insights Briefing into online harm and its impact on women’s leadership.
Netsafe is New Zealand’s independent, non-profit online safety organisation who aims to help New Zealanders take advantage of the digital opportunities available while managing online challenges. Netsafe is the Approved Agency to monitor and respond to complaints under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015.
The Ministry for Women and Netsafe also previously partnered on a series of research reports on the impact of online harm on teenagers in 2017 and 2018. The reports found that there were differences in the way that girls and boys experienced the online world and that young people were impacted by online harm from early ages.