Mana Wahine Week 2008

He Wāhine Pūmanawa

Tēnā koe Pae Ruha for the name - women of natural talents.

As part of Mana Wahine Week, He Wāhine Pūmanawa was held on Monday 16 June 2008 at the Grand Hall, Parliament. Mana Wahine Week is historically held in April, but this year our event was timed to coincide with Matariki.

The event, held jointly by the Māori Women’s Welfare League, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and Te Puni Kōkiri, was to honour eight Māori women from around the country who have made an immeasurable contribution to their whānau, hapū, iwi, communities, to the League, and to Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole.

The women who were honoured are representatives of the League’s eight districts:

• Irene Mokai – Waiaraki
  
• Maria Parore-Larsen – Tai Tokerau
  
• Tatiana Pimm – Te Waipounamu
  
• Te Irawaho Edith Mihaere – Tairāwhiti
  
• Atiria Ake – Tainui
  
• Evelyn Taumaunu – Tamaki Makaurau
  
• Doreen Erueti – Aotea
  
• Kiri Scott – Ikaroa.

Between them, they have more than 300 years membership of the Māori Women’s Welfare League.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs supports Mana Wahine Week as one way of celebrating the important role and achievements of Māori women as tāngata whenua, and to highlight the contributions that Māori women make to New Zealand’s economy, and we have done this every year since 1993.

Photo of the eight Maori women and kaumatua with Minister of Maori Affairs, Minister of Women's Affairs, MWWL president and general manager.

For more information, here is Hon Steve Chadwick, Minister of Women's Affairs, Speech and media release.