New Zealand Women Firefighters Launch 2027 Calendar After Raising Nearly NZ$300,000
The Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar returns with 14 New Zealand women firefighters supporting breast cancer research, after the first edition raised NZ$298,000.
Fourteen women firefighters from across New Zealand are taking centre stage in the new Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar 2027, launched on 28 October 2026 to support breast cancer research. The second edition follows an extraordinary debut campaign that raised NZ$298,000 and attracted attention well beyond New Zealand.
The firefighters are celebrating strength, confidence and femininity in a profession where women still represent only around six per cent of the career workforce. The fundraising effort has also found an enthusiastic audience among sapphic fans online, although the calendar itself is a charity project for everyone.
From a first edition to an international success
The inaugural calendar featured 13 career firefighters from nine stations in three New Zealand cities. It began as a way to challenge expectations of who belongs in firefighting while supporting a cause with deeply personal significance for several participants.
According to Fire and Emergency New Zealand's own women’s development update, the team ultimately raised NZ$298,000 for Breast Cancer Cure. Breast Cancer Cure separately reports that more than 15,000 calendars were sold, illustrating how quickly the project grew beyond its original ambitions.
Who features in the 2027 calendar?
The second edition features 14 female career firefighters and aims to highlight their work, resilience and individuality. Organisers describe the project as a celebration of women in a traditionally male-dominated occupation, as well as an opportunity to inspire girls and younger women considering the profession.
The photographs show the participants in firefighter gear and staged campaign settings. Their message is not that firefighting is a glamorous job, but that professional strength and femininity need not be treated as opposites.
Why has the calendar attracted LGBTQ+ attention?
Coverage by Australian queer publication QNews describes an enthusiastic response to early teasers, especially among lesbian and bisexual social media audiences. The attention has helped the fundraising project reach international viewers ahead of the release.
That interest should not be confused with a statement about the personal identities of the firefighters. The organisers have presented the calendar as a fundraiser for breast cancer research rather than a specifically LGBTQ+ initiative.
How can supporters buy the calendar?
The printed A4 calendar costs NZ$25 plus shipping, with international delivery available. A digital version is also offered for NZ$25, with its downloadable file scheduled to be sent on 10 December.
Breast Cancer Cure says 100 per cent of profits from calendar sales support breast cancer research. Readers can order directly through the official Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar page, rather than relying on unofficial resale listings.
Image credits: Wāhine Toa Firefighter Calendar / Breast Cancer Cure
