Māori businesswoman Katareina Kaiwai receives King's Service Medal for women's empowerment, civil construction work, and post-cyclone community support.

Katareina Kaiwai, a Māori businesswoman from New Zealand's East Coast, has received a King's Service Medal for her work in women's empowerment and the civil construction industry. Founder of Tairāwhiti Contractors, she has improved working conditions for women in construction and played a crucial role in reconnecting isolated communities after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. Kaiwai also leads an initiative providing 490 healthy lunches daily to East Coast school children.