October 07, 2015
Women’s league louder in social policy debate
Maori Women’s Welfare League president Prue Kapua wants the roopu to be given more of a role in developing social policy.
The league starts its annual conference in Whangarei today, and Ms Kapua says she is disappointed at the government response, with no ministers attending.
She says as the only national Maori women’s organisation the league is committed to being a voice for Maori women and their whanau, and it has huge experience in working at the flax roots.
But a lack of profile in recent years means it has been overlooked on major issues like the reform of the Child Youth and Family service.
"There are ways and means in which we have to make that voice heard and perhaps we have in that conservatism or in that staying under the radar become a voice they don’t need to listen to and that has to change so whether they will listen to us, they will certainly hear what we have to say,"Ms Kapua says.
She says this year’s conference will include more scope for debate, so the league can come to some agreed positions on kaupapa of the day.
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