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July-August 2024, Issue 648

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Making gender equality, reality.

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Suzanne Manning October 2022
Suzanne Manning,
NCWNZ President

President's kōrero

Kua hinga te tōtara o Te Waonui a Tāne.
The tōtara in the great forest of Tane has fallen
.

We pay tribute to Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero IV, who passed away on 30 August. The Māori King was known for his diplomacy and his calls for unity, as well as strong advocacy for his people. His example of servant leadership stands as a beacon for how a leader can and should be.


Kia ora koutou,

The passing of the Kingi Tūheitia is a reminder of the constant change in our world. We are here for a while and then pass on, hopefully leaving a legacy we are proud of, and handing over to other people to carry on.

This is true in smaller things than life itself; it is also true of organisations. We have our first in-person conference in five years taking place on Saturday 5 October, in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Have you registered? Got your travel and accommodation sorted? It will be both a time of farewells and celebrations, of meeting old friends and making new ones, of being able to talk about what’s important to us all. See the article below to find the links for registration.

The AGM papers for the conference will be sent out soon. On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to tell you that these papers will include the completed and signed-off reviewed financial statements for the year! This is an indication of the whole team getting better at preparing – including Sue Bingham our finance volunteer, and the Branches who have been able to supply all the information we needed. Ka mau te wehi: awesome work, team.

Coco Clelland, the new NCWNZ Board admin intern, has just arrived from England. Her first round-the-world flight, her first long-haul solo flight, and she had a delayed flight from London, therefore missed a connection in Doha and had to reschedule, and then managed to fly Auckland-Wellington-Auckland-Wellington because the winds were too strong for the plane to land in Wellington the first time. And when she arrived, she was still smiling!! So obviously Coco is a resilient woman and will cope admirably in the two months she will be with us. Please make her feel welcome – she will be using the [email protected] address.

A final word of thanks goes to Beryl Anderson, who has been intensively involved in the work of preparing the NCWNZ-combined NGO alternative report for CEDAW, and in sorting out arrangements for NGO representatives to attend the session in Geneva in October. Beryl’s commitment, skills and experience in this area has been invaluable. Kia ora Beryl, we appreciate what you do for us and for women in Aotearoa.

I look forward to seeing many of you at conference in October, plan ahead and register/book now!

Suzanne Manning (she/her)
President,
Te Kaunihera Wāhine o Aotearoa - National Council of Women New Zealand


NCWNZ 2024 Conference Update

Planning for the NCWNZ 2024 Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) is progressing well with the Ōtautahi Christchurch Branch subcommittee working hard to ensure a very inspiring and productive day on Saturday, October 5th.

The programme is nearly finalised, and will be publicised in full via the NCWNZ Events page
at https://www.ncwnz.org.nz/ncwnz_events.

Don’t forget that anyone who is interested in issues relating to women and girls and would like to attend are very welcome to do so. They will not be able to attend the AGM, as non-members, but all other conference sessions are open to them. So do advertise amongst your friends and
colleagues! (Download flyer here.)

We hope everyone who needs to book accommodation in Ōtautahi Christchurch has that
sorted or will be organising this very soon. There are still places available at the conference
venue, The Commodore Hotel, at discounted rates for conference attendees. (Download accommodation options information here.)

Just a reminder that the conference itself will not be available virtually but members can
attend the AGM via Zoom. Details of the link will be notified nearer the date.

Another short conference notification, with the final programme details, will be sent to all
NCWNZ members in the next week or so.


Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care issues report July 2024

In 2017, Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner for Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission, delivered a petition to New Zealand’s Parliament alongside survivors and community leaders, calling for an inquiry into state care abuses and a public apology. The name of the campaign was E Kore Anō... Never Again, and the petition contained 15,000 signatures. In 2018 the New Zealand government established the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions (the Royal Commission). (See detailed information at https://abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Cabinet-papers/2019-05-08-Cabinet-paper-Strategic-approach-to-Crown-engagement-with-Royal-Commission.pdf) Since 2019 a cross-agency Crown Secretariat has been funded to support research and survivors impacted as discovered by the Royal Commission. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care provided an interim report in December 2021: He Purapura Ora, he Māra Tipu: From Redress to Puretumu Torowhānui. (See the report at https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/from-redress-to-puretumu/.) The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, coordinated by the Crown Response Unit, were two of the government agencies contributing to the Crown response to the Royal Commission. (See the details on this interim response and current updates at https://abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/about-us/crown-response/.) Isaac Carlson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne) is the Director of the Crown Response Unit.

In December 2022, the Royal Commission produced a report on the abuse and neglect of children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital’s Child and Adolescent Unit in Manawatū from 1972 to 1980. (The report Beautiful Children can be found at https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/inquiry-into-the-lake-alice-child-and-adolescent-unit/.)  An additional interim report, Stolen Lives, Marked Souls, focused on the abuse and neglect of children and young people of the Catholic Order of the Brothers of St John of God at Marylands School and Hebron Trust in Ōtautahi Christchurch was released in July 2023. (Download the report at https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/stolen-lives-marked-souls/.) In March 2024 a Ministerial Group was established so that all the Ministers whose work relates to the care system can work together.

In June 2024 the Royal Commission reported its findings to the Governor-General. On 24 July its final report, Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light, was presented to Parliament. Of the estimated 655,000 children, young people and adults in care from 1950 to 2019, it is estimated that up to 256,000 were abused and neglected. During the Inquiry period, 1950 to 1999, it is estimated around 510,000 people were in care and up to 200,000 were abused and neglected. Commissioners Coral Shaw (Chair), Dr Anaru Erueti and Paul Gibson QSO stated in the Executive Summary that State and faith-based leaders “failed in their duty” and “failed to hold abusers to account.”  

The report is available at https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia. In particular, NCWNZ members should review the following summaries:

When the report was tabled in Parliament, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon acknowledged the use of torture in the 1970s at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit, and he praised Paul Zentveld and Malcolm Richards who took cases against New Zealand to the United Nations Committee Against Torture. (See his full speech here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/pm-speech-parliament-%E2%80%93-royal-commission-inquiry%E2%80%99s-report-abuse-care.) The Prime Minister announced that Hon Erica Stanford would lead the Ministerial Group to respond to the report’s findings and the 138 recommendations. The Prime Minister also stated that he will deliver a public apology on 12 November 2024.

Nearly 3,000 people who have shared their experiences of abuse and neglect with the Royal Commission since it was established in 2018. The report includes 16 volumes of material that cover context, what happened, why it happened, specific case studies, survivor experiences and recommendations for the future. University of Auckland political science faculty member Stephen Winter wrote in a public letter: "The volumes also detail the avoidance, obfuscation and delays by those responsible for enabling, concealing and minimising that abuse. ... [The report] put it beyond doubt that New Zealand’s laws, public policies and state institutions enabled that abuse." 

As part of its continuing efforts to support those impacted by the abuse in in State, faith-based, or other forms of care, the Crown Response Unit created a Survivor Experiences Service. Individuals and their families can contact the Survivor Experiences Service to organise a time and place to share their experiences: https://survivorexperiences.govt.nz/. In addition, the New Zealand Collective of Abused in State Care Charitable Trust (NZCAST) offers free programmes such as educational workshops and support services for survivors and their families - see more at https://www.familyservices.govt.nz/directory/viewprovider.htm?id=26175.


NCWNZ calls for action to protect and ensure safety of women and children at Gloriavale

Snipped from TVNZ episode from \Following the TVNZ documentary "Escaping Utopia", NCWNZ membership and member organisations began collaborating on a call for action to ensure the protection and safety of women and children in the religious cult of Gloriavale. The Safety, Health and Wellbeing Action Hub in collaboration with three other Action Hubs (Economic Independence, Education, and International) were supported by the NCWNZ Board in leading this effort. The publishing of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care report in July (see more on this in another Circular article here) spurred this initiative to contact ministers directly.  See the NCWNZ news item posted here on the NCWNZ website.

The three-part documentary which aired in March 2024 was directed by Natalie Malcon and Justin Pemberton, with Philippa Rennie serving as executive producer. It was crafted by Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand in association with the New Zealand Government’s Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund and with the support of NZ on Air. Warner Bros. described the documentary's storyline on IMDb:

The three-part investigative docuseries on New Zealand's most extreme religious cult, Gloriavale, and the true stories of people attempting to break free. Escaping Utopia documents the intricate planning that goes into clandestine escapes from Gloriavale - with unprecedented access to its inner workings, the unravelling of its leadership and the pursuit of justice by the group of passionate and dedicated people known as The Gloriavale Leavers' Trust.

The NCWNZ letter to Hon Karen Chhour addresses the issues of sexual harm and abuse proven late in 2023 from police investigations called "Operation Minneapolis" and "Operation Mathius" (see more on this in the Stuff article here). Addressed to Chhour as Minister for Children and for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, the letter states: "we seek your assurance that urgent and appropriate measures are in place to halt offending and prevent further abuse and harm from occurring." (Download the letter here.

The documentary was in production when the New Zealand Employment Court ruled that the members of the cult were employees and not volunteer workers. This ruling came as the result of six brave women who sued Gloriavale's "Overseeing Shepherd" Howard Temple for worker's rights and compensation for unpaid labour (see more on this in the 1News article here). 

The storyline of this documentary provides a stark contrast with the three documentaries produced in 2015 and 2016 aired on New Zealand’s TV2. These three videos, including "Gloriavale: A Woman's Place" can be found on the Gloriavale website at https://gloriavale.org.nz/videos/.

Probably the most harrowing component of the "Escaping Utopia" series can be found in the final episode. The report of five New Zealand women sent to India for manual and sex labour summarises what has been going on for almost a decade. The sister of one of the women sent to India, Theo Pratt, said she has been lobbying the New Zealand government and human rights organisations for years. See more on this in an RNZ article from The Detail (27 March 2024). The NCWNZ Action Hubs have written also to Ms Kylie Seumanu, Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons Program, in the Ministry of Business and Innovation and Employment. In the letter, outlining the specifics about human trafficking from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)'s eighth periodic report, is included a specific request: "NCWNZ seeks your assurance that these cases of alleged trafficking from Gloriavale New Zealand have been or are being investigated, and that mechanisms have been put in place to prevent any further potential cases of trafficking within the Gloriavale community." (Download the letter here.)

The barrister involved in the Gloriavale forced labour dispute, Brian Henry, has filed for proceedings for a new case that targets civil servants who have let these issues go unaccounted for, leaving the women and children in terrible conditions. It is our hope that the NCWNZ can support the work that is needed to halt these offenses and to grant freedom to the women and children caught in this extreme cult.


NCWNZ Past Presidents oral history interviews from 2016

The National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) Past Presidents oral history project is archived in Wellington in the Alexander Turnbull Library and in the Brandon Street office of the NCWNZ. Crafted in 2016 by author and publisher Carol Dawber, the six packets of information and oral history interviews provide a wealth of information important to understanding the recent history of NCWNZ. Each packet of materials includes the digitised oral history interview, a photograph of the interviewee, a written summary of the interview, and any additional documentation such as a final president’s report. The six presidents included in this project are:

Former NCWNZ Board member Mary Gavin explained that the original idea for the project was to celebrate the 125th anniversary of NCWNZ in 2016. Rather than produce a narrative history as a publication sequential to Dorothy Page’s The National Council of Women: A Centennial History (1996), funding was found to support the oral history work by author and publisher, Carol Dawber. The intervening twenty years had been tumultuous, and the time was ripe for first-hand perspectives from those who had led the organisation so successfully.

We need to know more about this history of women’s experiences in the late twentieth century and the impact that NCWNZ had on that history. The “wave” of the women’s rights movement in the early 1970s in New Zealand, seeking equal rights and raising public consciousness about sexism, had begun to slow by the 1980s. Opponents to the women’s movement feared that further changes would destroy the centring force of what was then defined as a “nuclear “family. (See more on this in J. Carlyon and D. Morrow, Changing Times: New Zealand since 1945.)  The NCWNZ in the 1980s navigated a middle-of-the-road position in political rifts on specific issues such as abortion. At the same time, women’s culture of volunteerism had dramatically shifted, given the rise in work opportunities for women. So many women’s organisations fizzled out without strong champions coming up through the ranks to keep them going. The stories of these NCWNZ presidents during the 1990s and early 2000s include details on how to keep a nationally-run volunteer organisation sustainable as well as the evidence of the type of leadership these women offered.

Finding and accessing these important primary source materials has been a journey in itself. Only with the written permission of both the NCWNZ president and the individual interviewees, was I allowed to access the materials – and even then, the Library was reluctant to allow me to access all the materials at the same time.  Nevertheless, I will persevere. This work ultimately will culminate in a feature article on each of the above projects in upcoming newsletters.


Some of what's happening at local branches

Iunisi Vaitohi of NCWNZ Manukau Branch was a member of the chorus, South City Soundz, who won at the SAPACS (South Auckland Performing Arts Competition Society Inc) held at the Hawkins Theatre in Papakura, Auckland on 9 August 2024. Vocal Groups category – all ages and genres.

Iunisi Vaitohi, NCW Manukau, in award-winning South City Soundz

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Hansa Naran receiving Queen's Service Medal 2024The Queen's Service Medal was presented to Hansa Naran JP by the Governor General of New Zealand, Hon Dame Cindy Kiro. on 9 May 2024. Mrs Naran has been treasurer of the Manukau Branch of the National Council of Women NZ since 2015.

Mrs Naran was commended for services to the Indian community. She used her professional skills as an accountant to contribute to her community organisations, including the Manukau Indian Association Inc. and the New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA). She organised an 125th Women’s Suffrage anniversary event, with more than 100 people in attendance at Waiau Pa. She has written many articles for event programmes including ‘Self-Empowerment’, ‘Grieving – A Myth or a Reality?’ and ‘How to age gracefully’. She helped manage more than $500,000 in funds raised for India during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been a Justice of the Peace since 2014, a Victim Support volunteer and a Kiwani. Mrs Naran has donated incubators, children’s stationary, and clothing to children’s missionaries and traditional sarees for women who cannot afford bridal clothing in India.

Mrs Naran responded with the following statement:

"I am pleasantly surprised by this recognition. It is humbling to receive an award for doing something that gives one a deep sense of satisfaction. For almost four decades, I have been privileged to work in an environment that involves giving back to society. It has become a way of life rather than a means to an end. I hope this award encourages many other women, especially those from migrant backgrounds, to step out of their comfort zones and utilise their talents and strengths to their fullest potential.

"Aotearoa New Zealand gives women from all walks of life and all ethnicities opportunities to grow, thrive and give back. As a woman of Indian descent, I have been able to ‘shatter the glass ceiling’ and succeed in academic studies that led to international corporate financial responsibilities. My reward for endeavour would be to see other women pick up the challenge and aspire to succeed in whatever field they desire, yet never forgetting from whence they came … believe and you can do it!

"This award is not just a recognition of me as an individual who started life in New Zealand as a housewife around fifty years ago, but also an endorsement of the valuable services provided by the organisations that I have voluntarily contributed to, such as the NZ Indian Central Association, Indian Association Manukau (NZ), National Council of Women (Manukau), Business & Professional Women (Franklin), Look Good Feel Better, and Victim Support. Organisations such as these make up part of the ‘backbone of communities’ and become a responsive platform for unity, justice, equity, equality, inspiration, cultural appreciation, success and intellectual networking.

"These organisations have contributed significantly to my own journey from settling into the New Zealand way of life and planting the seed of desire to give back to society. I am indebted to have been accepted, valued, respected and even humbly acknowledge ‘encouraged’ to undertake leadership responsibilities even whilst taking care of my family and being the sole breadwinner. I have huge respect for the many peers who have walked alongside me over the years and know they are within the mana of this award, and I thank each one of them for the learnings, guidance, support and dignity bestowed upon me throughout my motherhood, voluntary sector and career.

"Thank you."

By
Judi Goldsworthy, President of NCWNZ Manukau Branch

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Women in Sport logo from websiteMembers from NCWNZ Ōtautahi Christchurch Branch were pleased to have two speakers from Women in Sport Waitaha at their Branch meeting on August 20th.

We are all buzzing after the inspiring successes of wāhine athletes at the Olympic Games. But as our speakers, Katrina Mansfield and Rachel Froggatt, pointed out there is still much to be done to ensure that women and girls who play sport, or who are involved in coaching or management roles, are better supported both financially and emotionally. Our speakers highlighted the work that they are planning as a new organisation. They have been set up for only two years and are at the steering committee and networking stage.

Rachel and Katrina and their team are currently advocating for greater visibility of women’s sport in media coverage, particularly locally in Waitaha Canterbury. To this end, the group has organised an event with two prominent female journalists to discuss the issues. The event is nearly booked out which is an indication that many women and sportspeople as a whole see this as being very important for our female sporting communities.

You can find out more about Women in Sport Waitaha at https://womeninsport.org.nz/women-in-sport-waitaha/ and Women in Sport Aotearoa at https://womeninsport.org.nz/.

By
Louise Tapper, President of NCWNZ Ōtautahi Christchurch

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NCWNZ Whanganui Branch plans to have its annual Scholarship evening on 20th September to celebrate the winner of the Wynne Costley Literary Research Scholarship. Students are required to complete a research essay on a New Zealand woman of the past or present who has achieved and contributed in a distinct definable way to New Zealand society.

This is the sixth year we have been holding the Wynne Costley Literary Research Scholarship; and, two schools, Whanganui High and Collegiate, have been participating since 2018. Wynne Costley was a valued member of our NCWNZ branch and was a teacher of English, Latin and French. She strongly believed in encouraging her students to aim high academically. She died in 1998 and bequeathed a considerable sum of money to the branch and the Scholarship is in memory of her.

We plan to have as our guest speaker, a student from Whanganui Girls College who we funded to attend a “Hands on” week at Otago University in January 2024. Her “taster” subjects were Chemistry and Geography. She attended our NCWNZ meeting in June to report back. Her presentation was very well received, and it was decided she would be an inspiration to the students involved in the Scholarship evening, hence the invitation.

By
Jenny Saywood, President of NCWNZ Whanganui Branch


Resources to share in meetings and with your networks

Stout Research Centre Seminar: Having and not having children – towards reproductive justice, Anne Else & Maria Haenga-Collins, 4 September 2024

First, we briefly outline some statistics and sum up the current state of law and practice with regard to major aspects of adoption, state care, donor conception and surrogacy, including their damaging effect on Māori in particular. We then consider the large-scale changes which are increasingly affecting human reproduction, and why the current focus on ART ‘solutions’ is misleading and dysfunctional. We make the case for focusing instead on how to bring about reproductive justice, drawing on concepts from tikanga and mātauranga Māori which could benefit us all, by effectively enlarging perceptions of what ‘family’ means.

Venue: Stout Research Centre for NZ Studies, 12 Waiteata Road, Kelburn Campus, Victoria University of Wellington

Zoom: https://vuw.zoom.us/j/96076696431

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The UN's Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem urges global action to recognise and combat prostitution as a system of violence against women and girls. See more from the Office of the High Commissioner, UN Human Rights press release here. “The normalisation of prostitution, including pornography, creates harmful sexual expectations for men and boys and undermines the safe and equal participation of women and girls in society,” Alsalem said. Download her report to the Human Rights Council here.

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The Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission has published a new guide to how human rights law in Aotearoa New Zealand protects trans and non-binary people in this country. The guide,Trans Rights are Human Rights, is available in a range of print, digital and accessible formats including Braille, Large Print, Easy Read and NZSL. Visit their website at https://tikatangata.org.nz/our-work/trans-rights-guide.


Readings to consider

In May, the Ministry for Women released Te Ōhanga Wāhine Māori, The Māori Women's Economy (2024), the first major study into the Māori women’s economy, in partnership with) Business and Economic Research Ltd (BERL. The report found that wāhine Māori generated $5.9 billion value add to all sectors of the economy in 2022. With the inclusion of unpaid work, the size of the wāhine Māori economy doubled to $12.5 billion.

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Check out the Stats NZ's website - they've published the first Census 2023 data release. https://www.stats.govt.nz/2023-census/

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Have you seen the Rural Women New Zealand's new directory of businesses led by entrepreneurial rural women? Visit their website, The Country Woman's Collective, at https://www.ruralwomennz.nz/the-country-womens-collective.


Stories to celebrate

Our own Megan Hutching (International Action Hub and NCWNZ Auckland Branch) will be celebrated at the National Oral History Association of New Zealand Biennial Conference in November. Her new book, Remembering and Becoming:Oral History in Aotearoa New Zealand, is co-edited with Anna Green and is published with Otago University Press. The collection features oral histories from authors across Aotearoa. Preorder your own copy today at https://www.otago.ac.nz/press/books/remembering-and-becoming.

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To celebrate the centenary of Janet Frame's birth (the New Zealand author was born August 28, 1924), Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision shares a 1983 interview between Frame and Elizabeth Alley. Frame had recently released To the Is-land, the first part of her autobiographical trilogy, when this interview was recorded. In it she discusses inspiration, her desire to tell her own life story, and whether her reputation for a ‘dark’ outlook is deserved. The oral interview "My Say" is 23 minutes long.


Dates to note for July 2024

7 Sept - International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

9 Sept - International Day to Protect Education from Attack

18 Sept - International Equal Pay Day

19 Sept - New Zealand Suffrage Day

21 Sept - International Day of Peace

26 Sept - International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

29 Sept - Hinewehi Mohi hopes to draw 10,000 people to Eden Park to perform Ka Mate, the haka composed by Ngāti Toa rangatira Te Rauparaha while evading a rival Iwi.The world record haka attempt will help raise funds for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre.The event will be officially adjudicated by Guinness World Records. Register to participate at https://edenpark.co.nz/edenpark_media/worlds-largest-haka-to-take-place-at-eden-park


Quotation to ponder

"The Country is today enjoying so much prosperity that married women with children should wake up to their responsibilities in the home and stay at home." 

Dame Hilda Ross, Dominion, 20 July 1954

Dame Hilda Ross DBE CStJ (née Nixon; 6 July 1883 – 6 March 1959) was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hamilton from 1945 to 1959; served as the founding Minister of Welfare of Women and Children (1949–1957) now named Minister for Women. Hamilton erected a statue in her honour (see webpage and photo here).


Whakataukī to share

Haere taka mua, taka muri; kaua e whai. 

Be a leader not a follower... or, Go in front, not behind.

A leader’s primary responsibility is to recognise and cultivate the potential of the people in her community - the betterment of all people is the primary goal and the leader works actively to protect the community as they journey together to make the changes necessary for this goal. This proverb assumes that the whole community pays attention to this lesson and that for anyone to lag behind means to shirk responsibility to help the group to move forward. Read more about this concept in Stacey Ruru, Maree Roche, Waikaremoana Waitoki, "Māori women’s perspectives of leadership and wellbeing," Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing 2 (June 2017): 5-14.

 

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The Circular is the official organ of The National Council of Women of New Zealand. Archived copies are available at the National Library of New Zealand (ISSN 2815-8644).

Do you have some news to share? Please send an email to the newsletter managing editor, Randolph Hollingsworth, at [email protected].

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