The Women of Otepoti Recognition Project aims to empower future generations of women by telling the stories of those who have gone before.
It is envisaged such stories about their contribution to change will be presented online and physically through means such as plaques and signposts.
Dunedin deputy mayor Christine Garey, a project member, highlighted at a council meeting last week a register of pre-approved street names that developers are invited to choose from continues to undersell the impact women from the region have had.
The ratio of men to women on the list is more than 2:1.
The list online has not been updated by the council lately and the Otago Daily Times has been told several names - acknowledging both men and women - have since been snapped up.
Cr Garey was surprised the names on the list still apparently unchosen included Olveston home benefactor, mountaineer and photographer Dorothy Theomin and artist, journalist and Beauty and the Beast television show panelist Shona McFarlane.
The register got off to a shaky start in 2016 when an initial list presented to the council featured men and family names only.
The public is now invited to suggest names for the register.
Cr Garey said she hoped the gender imbalance would be fixed and that the list would become more diverse to better acknowledge such groups as Chinese immigrants.
The council’s road-naming policy is to be reviewed this year.
The council said it was exploring ways to increase diversity on the register.
One of the Women of Otepoti Recognition Project founders, Lucy Gray, said the group was initially inspired by the equal pay movement.
There was a need to push for greater recognition for Jean Parker, who won a landmark equal pay legal challenge in 1956, and suffragist Harriet Morrison, who helped establish trade unions for female workers, she said.
"The intention is to shine a light on women who lived in Dunedin and who made a significant contribution, not yet recognised."
