April 29, 2022
League opens door for wahine views
The Māori Women’s Welfare League is holding its hui ā tau in Ōtautahi, it’s first since Masterton in 2019.
President Prue Kapua, who is stepping down after almost eight years in the role, says one of the items for discussion is how to do future hui digitally if needed – but the preference of the wāhine is always going to be for kanohi ki te kanohi gatherings.
She says she’s tried to highlight the power of the collective to raise issues of critical importance to whānau Māori, and to make policy and decision-makers know it’s there.
“People should be doing that. We are the only national Māori women’s organisation and we’ve just celebrated 70 years, although we couldn’t celebrate because of Covid. We really want people to be worried if they haven’t got our view and we can only do that by raising the issues, even if people aren’t always listening to us,” Ms Kapua says.
Highlights of her term include a challenge to the 2019 Census that has led to a closer working relationship with Stats NZ and opening the door for stronger relationships with Oranga Tamariki and Police.