A whānau and women-centred approach to health.

When you navigate to Mana Wāhine’s website, a host of smiling faces look back at you. Faded photos from the early 1990s of groups standing in front of Kohunui Marae, of friendly community health kaimahi (workers) and of women proudly holding signs advocating for Māori health initiatives.

Although Mana Wāhine has been around since 1991 – established after the Cartwright Inquiry and subsequent movement to empower and support women to make informed choices about their health – this is the first time the organisation’s story has been told in its own way and on its own platform. “Creating our own website was really important for us,” says Mana Wāhine Kaiwhakahaere (General Manager) Tira Albert.

“Having something where we could tell our own story, share our services, advocate for health and show our kaupapa makes a huge difference!”

A whānau and women-centred approach

Everything about a visit to Kōkiri Marae is reflective of the vision of Mana Wāhine and Takiri Mai te Ata Whānau Ora – the Māori women’s health collective to which Mana Wāhine belongs. The friendly chorus of kia ora, the shuttles transporting visitors to and from their homes and bright artwork adorning the appointment rooms are all touchpoints that exist to break down barriers and make health initiatives accessible to at-risk communities. It has always been this way, says Tira.

At a time when stigma around women’s health was high and information was scarce, founder Teresea Olsen decided to take things into her own hands, setting up a space to deliver educational sessions and health initiatives in a converted garage.

“Teresea thought about what she would like to see and feel when she attended a cervical testing or breast screening appointment,” says Tira. “She designed the space around that –making sure it was really welcoming and warm.”

30 years of transformative support

Over 30 years later, Mana Wāhine continues to design its services in an agile, human-centred way, making sure women are tested and connected with vital information about their bodies and health services while addressing inequities in cervical cancer diagnosis and mortality rates in Māori women.

To create a sense of comfort, there is no strict time limit for each appointment. Childcare is also taken care of, which allows space for conversation and to offer additional pastoral support if it’s needed. “We often find that having a chat really helps our visitors to recognise that there’s nothing scary about coming along,” says Tira. “They leave knowing that they’ve done something positive for their health and for their tamariki and mokopuna – so they can be there for them in years to come.”

Mana Wāhine’s story is one of strength, of doing things differently and of forging new, innovative paths to empower women. Through the launch of its new website, which Nikau Foundation was delighted to support, Mana Wāhine can now showcase its kaupapa, its people and its services in a powerful, meaningful and vivid way