He aha te kaupapa o te pakirehua Mana Wāhine? What is the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry?
The Waitangi Tribunal is hearing claims which allege prejudice to wāhine Māori resulting from breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by the Crown.
These claims are being heard in Wai 2700 – the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry. These claims are both historical and contemporary and extend across many fields of Crown policy and practice.
The overarching theme in the Inquiry asserts that the Crown has failed to protect the rangatiratanga of wāhine Māori and denied inherent mana and iho. Claimants allege that the Crown’s denial of mana wāhine has had serious prejudicial consequences for the social, economic, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing of wāhine Māori and their access to leadership roles.
Manatū Wāhine has a coordinating role in the Inquiry on behalf of the Crown. This coordination occurs through our Joint Roopū, made up of members from Manatū Wāhine and Te Puni Kōkiri.
I te ahatia? What has been happening?
The Inquiry began with six tūāpapa (foundational) hearings. In the tūāpapa phase, evidence presented was intended to establish a picture of the life, experiences, and status of wāhine Māori prior to colonisation. Tūāpapa hearings proceeded regionally to ensure the Tribunal heard about wāhine Māori from a range of iwi and hapū. The hearings concluded in September 2022.
The next phase of the Inquiry includes a focus on research from the Waitangi Tribunal and claimants.
Ka tuku mihi atu nei mātou ki ngā kaikawe maha i hāpai i ngā whakawā tūāpapa. Manatū Wāhine acknowledges all those who were involved in bringing the tūāpapa hearings to completion: Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti, claimants and their counsel, the various mana whenua who brought the kaupapa into their whare tīpuna, Te Tari Ture o te Karauna (Crown Law Office), our Crown agency stakeholders, and co-lead agency Te Puni Kōkiri. All have contributed to launching the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry with mana and stability. We look forward to progressing the Inquiry alongside all of them.
Further information
For more information please visit the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry page on the Waitangi Tribunal website.
If you have any pātai, email us at wai2700@women.govt.nz.