The Ngā Wāhine Rōia Māori mentoring programme to support the growth and career development of Māori women members of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa, the New Zealand Māori Law Society (Hunga Rōia), has been launched at Parliament.

The programme aims to prepare and tautoko (support) lawyers and senior law students for success in the workforce, establish networks for mentees with senior practitioners and strengthen networks between Hunga Rōia members.

(From left) Law Society President Kathryn Beck, Prue Kapua
and Judge Sarah Reeves. 

The programme has  over 68 wahine signed up so far (and more applications rolling in daily) from all over Aotearoa, from Northland to Dunedin.

“Based on the information shared in the application forms, mentors have been matched with mentees with similar values and career aspirations,” says Marcia Murray, Te Hunga Rōia’s Wellington representative.

“Given the vast spread of mentors and mentees across the country, with the help of technology, they are able to stay connected. We encourage pairs to have at least four kanohi-ki-te-kanohi hui (face to face meetings), which can take place over skype/zoom, regular coffee catch ups or at other events during the year, such as the Te Hunga Rōia Māori kura reo Māori in July or the hui-a-tau (annual conference) in October."

Speakers at the launch on 11 April included Kiritapu Allan MP, Judge Sarah Reeves of the Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal, Bernadette Arapere of the Crown Law Office and Marcia Murray of the Ministry for the Environment.

The kaupapa of the evening was based on the whakatauki ma ngā huruhuru ka rere te manu – With all its feathers a bird can soar. This whakatauki speaks of the importance of support, tuakana-teina relationships and working as a collective to achieve a goal.