The women’s health leader driving Aotearoa toward zero cervical cancer
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Professor Bev Lawton ONZM (Ngāti Porou) is the founder and director of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa), at Victoria University of Wellington.
What was your most formative life experience?
Becoming a doctor, the privilege of being with people, listening and learning. I later became a researcher because as a GP I realised that some people were treated differently by the health system, and I wanted to better understand that and do something about it.
Who is your most inspirational figure, and why?
Gosh there are so many. The late Dame Tariana Turia was incredibly inspiring. And she has had a big influence on myself and our work at the centre which is about changing and transforming systems to reduce preventable harm and death. Dame Tariana was all about whānau knowing best, and that when you wake up, every new day offers another opportunity to bring about change. That drives me, and I know that’s what drive my team too.
Favourite book?
The PMMRC report is a regular publication from the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee – New Zealand’s independent committee that reports on deaths of mums and babies in pregnancy and shortly after, which should guide systems, practices and processes. It’s what we use as reference to highlight the need for urgent changes to our maternity system. The information, the way data is shown – and the words of previous chair Mr John Tait highlights the committee’s frustration at the lack of action on prior recommendations to government. This means more preventable harm and death has likely continued. We need to highlight unjust harm and death affecting pregnant whānau that I believe we can prevent. But it’s not a happy read unfortunately. I carried one year’s report in my bag for 8 months solid. Maternity care is a real challenge both locally and globally – we can do better.
As a leader, how would you address a toxic work culture?
To be a leader is always to be learning and to take responsibility. I think relationships and relationality are key to a flourishing work culture, so if anything was considered remotely toxic, as a leader I’d be looking at how to find connections between those working together and try to provide an environment where they feel they are recognised and truly valued. Difficult conversations and actions are not easy. Having the right team is paramount to any success. My team hear me say this often –I believe my true skill is bringing the right people together for transformational change!
Hardest decision ever?
The hardest decisions I have been involved in are all around death. It is achingly final. When you realise you are losing a parent. There is nothing you can do, and you have to let them go even though they live on in our thoughts. When as a young doctor in casualty resuscitating people from a motor vehicle accident you have to tell a partner that their spouse did not make it. I’ll never forget those moments and deciding how to share the worst news.
Should billionaires exist?
Billionaires do exist and some do remarkable feats to improve the world, others do not. I believe all of us should move forward with responsibilities to families (whānau) and to ancestors, and to mokopuna (grandchildren) to make this world a better place. To push for change. To recognise the vibrant strengths-based communities we have and take positive actions to support the wellness and wishes of community. People lead the way but that doesn’t have to be incongruent with money. Billionaires have power on the world stage. That power with the potential for greater good, and the opportunity to support community and kaupapa-led accelerated change is very exciting.
If I was a billionaire, I would …
…eliminate cervical cancer in less than 10 years. This is something my team and our many partners, have been working on, leading and lobbying to see actioned in NZ - we know how to do this. It’s not hard. And it definitely doesn’t need a billion dollars. It needs money yes, leadership yes, but mostly partners, time and commitment. We need resources, we need to get this job done. To save lives.
But if I did have a billion dollars, I’m certain with partners we could eliminate this cancer globally! Just like polio, it could be gone. I don’t need to be a billionaire to get this done in NZ, but we can do it quicker and save lives. With that sort of money to eliminate preventable harm and death things could get exciting! Plus, there would be some left over to do more work built from community voice – supporting families to flourish and be safe – safe from housing insecurity, safe from kai (food) insecurity, safe from violence – and with educational and workforce opportunities specific for whānau wellbeing. Plus with just a little bit left over from the billions, I would shout the amazing wāhine toa I meet regularly for breakfast!
What is the one thing that could happen in New Zealand tomorrow that would make life better for the most people?
Simple. For our country to announce, invest and action a cervical cancer elimination plan. No woman or person with a cervix getting cervical cancer – that would make life better. And to me, that is success.
Bio: Prof Bev Lawton trained as a GP, and co-founded the Wellington Menopause Clinic. She has driven research leading to critical advancements in cervical cancer screening, maternal health, and indigenous health equity, and her work led to New Zealand’s historic shift to HPV self-testing as the primary method for cervical screening – making Aotearoa the first high-income country to do so. This year Lawton was named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.