Ranjna Patel, QSM, ONZM, is one of Tuesday night’s Women of Influence 2020 winners. She won the Community Hero award for her work on, and dedication to, a ground-breaking family violence programme called Gandhi Nivas.
The Women of Influence awards celebrate New Zealand women who are helping the next generation positively shape their future.
Ranjna impressed the judges by bringing parties together, including police and social support services, to reduce rates of family violence.
Ranjna, cofounder and director of Tamaki Health and executive trustee of Total Healthcare PHO, was overcome with emotion and shed a tear as she gave her speech at the awards event held in Auckland.
“Thank you… the programme actually works with perpetrators to increase the number of women picking up the phone. Only 20% of women [in domestic violence circumstances] pick up the phone to ask for help, and only 1% of the men want to change their behaviour.
“We are working with a very small amount but making massive, massive changes – [a recent Massy University evaluation showed] 60% non-recidivism of 900 men.”
In 2014, Ranjna founded Gandhi Nivas (meaning house of peace), a family violence prevention programme established in partnership with Counties Manukau Police and Sahaayta Counselling and Social Support.
The programme provides early intervention and prevention services for Kiwi men identified at risk of committing harm in the family home, and supports them to change their behaviour. It also offers support and counselling to the men’s whanau.
Ranjna adds this latest award to countless other business and personal and professional achievement awards. She was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 and received a Queen’s Service Medal in 2009. She sits on advisory boards including the National Ethnic Forum for New Zealand Police, the Mental Health Foundation and Diversity Works.
Loved by all at Tamaki Health and the PHO, Ranjna was sent late-night accolades via WhatsApp.
“Superbly done! Congratulations Ranjna,” Dr Alistair Sullivan, medical director White Cross.
“She cried, never seen her cry at any of her awards ceremonies! Special moments. Always proud of you, congratulations, well deserved.” Vicky Solomona.
“Winner!! Women of Influence – super proud son,” Rakesh Patel.
About Tamaki Health
Tamaki Health, which has grown over 40 years into New Zealand’s largest independent primary health care group is the management services organisation for the Local Doctors and White Cross networks.
About Total Healthcare PHO
Auckland’s Total Healthcare PHO contracts the delivery of health services serving 230,000 patients in the Counties Manukau, Auckland and Waitemata district health board areas. It has nearly 80,000 Pasifika patients, including 54,700 in the Counties Manukau area making it the largest primary health provider to Pasifika in South Auckland.
About the Women of Influence programme
Presented by Stuff and Westpac NZ, the Women of Influence programme helps share the remarkable stories of women who are making a difference to the lives of New Zealanders.
Each year, the awards programme shines a light on the amazing work Kiwi women are doing from grassroots level to the global stage, and helps propel future leaders and rising stars to bigger and better things. These awards recognise and celebrate exceptional women who have committed time and energy to create real change in their industry and communities, and are using their influence to achieve great things.