The role of women in Māori society

Whakarongo mai rā te taringa ki te puna kōrero e kōrengarenga nei otirā ki ngā wai e kokō ana i runga i ngā kōhatu o te Ao Māori.
Ko ngā puna kōrero ko Tamati Cairns nō Ngāi Tūhoe me Ngāti Raukawa rāua ko Henrietta Maxwell nō Ngāti Porou. Ka kōrerohia e ngā puna kōrero nei ngā āhuatanga o mua rangi hei whakaari mai ki tēnei whakatupuranga te noho o te wahine me te tāne i roto i tōna whānau. Ko ngā akoranga ka noho hei kawenga, hei painga, hei āwhinatanga hoki mō ngā whakatupuranga.
Nō reirā whakarongo mai.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs invites you to listen to Tamati Cairns of Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Raukawa and Henrietta Maxwell of Ngāti Porou as they discuss the role of women within the whānau. The speakers draw on memories of their childhood and the teachings of their elders.
Nō reirā whakarongo mai.

Recording of Tamati Cairns and Henrietta Maxwell [9.59MB - 10.24mins]

Transcription (Māori to English) of the interview [this is currently being edited]

This interview, a Māori language resource, was presented to all iwi radio stations.

The kaupapa is about the role of women in Māori society. An interview was conducted by Wena Tait (Tūhoe) with interviewees, Tamati Cairns (Tūhoe, Ngāti Raukawa) and Henrietta Maxwell (Ngāti Porou.)

The Government’s goal for women in New Zealand is for women to have real choices and use their strengths to maximise social and economic success. In order for women to have real choices they need to be: healthy, safe, economically sustainable, and empowered to make decisions.

Ani Mikaere says;

‘The roles of men and women in traditional Māori society can be understood only in the context of the Māori world view, which acknowledged the natural order of the universe, the interrelationship or whanaungatanga of all living things to one another and to the environment, and the over-arching principle of balance. Both men and women were essential parts in the collective whole, both formed part of the whakapapa that linked Māori people back to the beginning of the world, and women in particular played a key role in lining the past with the present and the future. The very survival of the whole was absolutely dependent upon everyone who made it up, and therefore each and every person within the group had his or her own intrinsic value. They were all part of a collective; it was therefore a collective responsibility to see that their respective roles were valued and protected.’

Māori tikanga and Māori stories are about how the survival of whānau depended on the co-operation and contribution of both men and women, how balance was maintained. Both gender played an important role in the security and protection of their whānau.

The current situation is that there is disharmony in some whānau: Māori women experience poorer economic outcomes on average than European women; Māori women have the lowest hourly earnings of any of the major gender and ethnicity groups; Māori women have the highest rate of joblessness; Māori women are four times more likely to be a victim of crime than all women.

Some whānau however are doing well. The challenge is to learn what makes some whānau more resilient than others. How can we learn from each other? The interview will spark discussion for whānau, and hopefully be a catalyst for change in their whānau.

Parenting and roles of men and women need to be recognised and valued. This will contribute towards increased choice for families to participate and fully contribute to their whānau, to their communities, and to society.

I hope that you find the resource useful to create kōrero in your communities.

Nākū noa, nā
Sonya Rimene
Kaihautū, Minitatanga mō ngā Wāhine
Interviewed May 2009

Radio Series Korero

7 May 2009, Lyall Bay. Te Atahau
Wena Tait, Lyn Harrison, Henrietta Maxwell, Tamati Cairns, Sonya Rimene

Some topics for discussion

• Gender does not determine roles
• Whakapapa determines roles. Whakapapa has an order; you know where you fit; you come from something and you will go into something. Whakapapa is constant.
• Men and women are committed to their roles. They know what their roles are; you have the ability to choose roles.
• Whakawhanau tamariki is the highest level, is the ultimate role that women have – child bearing.
• Nga tapu o te wahine – respect and honour between men and women in the process of carrying the tapu is essential.
• These days you support the roles that children pursue. You are groomed and supported in the choices that you make.
• When you fall off the rails or do not succeed, kids are supported.
• Experience drives your passion.
• You can choose what you want to be involved in and how you want to be involved.
• Things evolve. Values do not change. Interpretation of those values changes. Time and your experience will differ from a 19 year old and a 60 year old. Life is competitive, it is not a competition. You have a choice to achieve a win–win, or a win-lose scenario. Whanau have a choice whether they have values or not.
• Stereotypes are a manifestation of choice.