Nina Santos


Nina Santos Image
Lawyer, Campaigner & Communications Specialist

Nina Santos is a forward-thinking lawyer, campaigner and staunch advocate for ethnic communities, migrants' rights and intersectional gender equity with a strong focus on dismantling institutional barriers to drive meaningful social change.

A proud generalist with a background in Law (BA/LLB(Hons), she has forged a diverse career in the public and non-profit sectors encompassing strategic communications, campaign management & delivery, social media and research.

Nina is Comms and Advocacy Manager at the YWCA Tāmaki Makaurau, and Delivery Manager for MindTheGap ; a legislative reform campaign for new pay transparency law in an effort to address New Zealand’s gender and ethnic pay gaps. Additionally, she contributes her expertise as a board member of the National Council of Women New Zealand and has provided media commentary and contributed written pieces to prominent news outlets such as Stuff, NZ Herald and RNZ. 

Recognised for her impactful work, Nina is a Young New Zealander of the Year 2023 semi-finalist, has received a KiwiBank Local Hero Medallist award, has been named part of 'Y25,' a group of exceptional women under 25 who are trailblazers in their respective fields. Additionally, she was featured in the Asia New Zealand Foundation's '25 to watch' list, and was the youngest member inducted into the Leadership Network.

A proud first generation migrant, Nina was born and raised in Manila, Philippines.