June 26, 2014
League attracting younger wahine
Membership of the Maori Women’s Welfare League is on the rise as the 60-year-old roopu finds ways to make itself relevant to younger women.
The league is part of E Nga Uri Whakatupu weaving exhibition opening in Hamilton this weekend, as part of its heritage of support for Maori women’s arts.
League members will act as gallery hosts, and it will co-host events and workshops.
League kaiwhakahaere Awhimai Reynolds says there are now about 3000 members in 140 branches around the country.
It has also stepped up its online presence with a new website and social media pages.
"We’ve got a Facebook page that is very active and encourages engagement with a younger demographic. The average age of women who are engaging on Facebook is 38 which is much younger than the average age of the league previously," Ms Reynolds says.
Many members are engaged in whanau ora projects, which are an extension of what the league has always done.
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