Heather Henare has been appointed as the new chief executive of the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges.

Ms Henare, 46, has worked throughout her career to eliminate violence towards women and children, most recently as chief executive for Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS).

She is a qualified social worker and has held positions in Women’s Refuge, Child Youth and Family and the Office of the Commissioner for Children.

“New Zealand has a very high level of violence towards women and children and there is high tolerance in the community for acts of violence towards women and children.”

Ms Henare said she will be supporting the work refuges do and working to obtain adequate funding for services they provide.

“Refuges are currently funded for only 25% of their costs, yet they are the only agency devoted to working with women and children experiencing domestic violence. Nearly 24,000 women and children used their services last year.”