July 11, 2022
Abortion access loss threat to wahine Māori
A Māori social and environmental activist expects wahine Māori to be targeted as the debate over abortion rights heats up here.
Tina Ngata says some political and social forces which led to the United States Supreme Court stripping women of the protections around their reproductive health are present here – including funding from American sources, and New Zealand can’t be complacent.
She says women’s rights need to be defended, as the first ones affected when rights are put under pressure are women of colour.
“Non-white groups are more likely to have unintended pregnancies. We don’t have reproductive sexual health education as broadly accessible and inappropriate ways for us so we are more disproportionately impacted by this issue. We are more likely to be subjected to sexual assaults and have unintended pregnancies as a result of sexual assaults,” Ms Ngata says
She’s concerned at the way wahine Māori MPs were singled out for their votes against a law decriminalising abortion, with no explanation their votes were about concerns the bill was lacking important cultural features.