He Whare Wāhine | Celebrating 20 Years 

He Whare Wāhine recognises and proactively focuses on the celebration and acknowledgement of wāhine Māori and their often-pivotal role in whānau, hapū and iwi. This focus brings about tangible change to the lives of wāhine Māori, tamariki, and whānau through reconnecting them to te ao Māori through pūrākau, waiata, wānanga, and whanaungatanga.  

The team of wāhine Māori leading this kaupapa are committed to restoring the status and mana of wāhine Māori as the pūrākau of Hineahuone tells us: 

Tāne called out, ‘We are seeking the path to woman. This is what we are doing.’ They replied, ‘Go to the soil at Kurawaka, there to go about your work. There the woman can be found, untouched, select and sacred, for she possesses the essence of humankind.’¹ 

The goal is to foster and promote environments that enable wāhine Māori to reclaim their divine right to their whakapapa, mātauranga and their place in history. This means we centre them within the greater nucleus of the whānau as the nurturer, the carer, and the leader. A place is offered for daughters’, mothers’, sisters’, and grandmothers’ natural native intellect to be heard – a wānanga. Within these wānanga, courageous conversations are invited, sheltered, and honoured. Wāhine Māori are enlivened through the wānanga process which validates and honours their journeys. 

Ngā Pou o Te Whare | Our Purpose 

There are three philosophies (mātāpono) that underpin He Whare Wāhine: 

• The unapologetic advancement of wāhine Māori in hapū, iwi, contemporary communities as valid representatives and voices of intergenerational trauma. 

• the re-establishment of mana wāhine Māori in all aspects of her life, from the ‘kitchen table’ to the ‘caucus table.’ 

• the practical application of tikanga to all life domains which enable wāhine Māori to achieve personal equality.  

He Kura te Tāngata 

He Whare Wāhine team members work collaboratively across all offered programmes. Below is a list of current programmes delivered under the collective umbrella of ‘He Kura te Tāngata’.