Family Planning says a Queen's Birthday Honour for Dr Christine Roke is a well-deserved acknowledgement of a career dedicated to women’s sexual and reproductive health. Dr Roke has been named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours.

Chief Executive Jackie Edmond says Dr Roke has made a career-long commitment to working for Family PLanning where she has worked for more than 40 years. For the 17 years to July 2018 she was the organisation's National Medical Advisor, responsible for leading our clinical workforce and front media for the organisation on sexual and reproductive health issues. 

"I'm proud to have called Christine a colleague for many years. Her career is exemplified by her personal commitment to our vision of equity, access and choice. She has been a tireless advocate for women - applying her skills in a kind and caring way - directed by clinical best practice," Ms Edmond says. 

"Nationally Christine has been the senior clinical leader for the organisation for close to two decades. Under her watch we have successfully advocated for a contraceptive implant to be available to young women at no cost. More than 3,000 women each year now choose the implant as their preferred contraceptive device through Family Planning, many other women are also able to choose the device through their GP or other providers. We have also argued, as yet without success, for another highly effective contraceptive device to be added to the schedule of subsidised contraception - allowing women to choose this method without cost preventing them making this choice. Underpinning this work has been her commitment to women - to making women's lives better and helping them choose the options that work best for them." 

"Criticism of our work and organisational values is frequent. Dr Roke has been a voice of reason amidst the tumult - most particularly when she has been called upon the be the "face" of the organisation."