The Maori Women’s Welfare League wants some branches to be given the status of first responders in civil defence.
President Prue Kapua says it’s part of the 64 year old organisation rediscovering its advocacy role and challenging the constraints put on Maori by government.
Its annual conference in Whanganui last week heard from Eastern Bay of Plenty members in the Ngati Awa Voluntary Army talking about the challenges they faced responding to the Edgecumbe floods.
"And that whole first responder thing means it goes into other hands and that doesn't help us and it doesn't help our people. In most of these situations, in every one of these situations we are talking about there, it is Maori who are mostly affected," Ms Kapua says.
!["p_facebook"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/facebook.jpg")
& !["p_twitter"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/twitter.jpg")
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
