I'm circling back to this. Around Christmas time 2024 I saw this viral video online and it stopped me in my tracks. I didn't want to get caught up in
I’m circling back to this. Around Christmas time 2024 I saw this viral video online and it stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t want to get caught up in the sensationalism. We know that type of passion comes from somewhere deep. It’s taken me six months but here I am to start looking into the history and conditions of these beautiful and powerful people.
Violence against wāhine Māori (Māori women) in Aotearoa New Zealand is not a new crisis.
It is a profound and enduring one, woven through the intergenerational impacts of colonization, systemic racism, and economic injustice.
Despite making up only about 16% of the population, Māori women experience the highest rates of violence and abuse in the country.
That is not coincidence.
That is the result of history—ignored, denied, and repeated.
Nearly 65% of wāhine Māori have experienced intimate partner violence.
Over 43% have endured sexual assault.
Māori girls are twice as likely to be sexually abused in childhood compared to non-Māori girls.
Māori women are three times more likely to be killed by a partner than non-Māori women.
These numbers are staggering.
But what’s even more staggering is the silence that too often follows them.
We must understand:
This violence is not just individual.
It is systemic.
It’s the legacy of land taken, language stolen, traditions erased.
It’s what happens when a people are uprooted from their sacred ways of protecting women, children, and community.
Yet in the face of this violence, wāhine Māori continue to rise—leading healing movements, cultural reclamation, and survivor-centered practices that honor their ancestors and protect future generations.
Their resilience is sacred.
But resilience should not have to be the requirement for survival.
We say this in solidarity from across oceans and time zones:
Wāhine Māori deserve safety.
Wāhine Māori deserve to be heard.
Wāhine Māori deserve full healing, full justice, and full protection—on their terms.
To our sisters in Aotearoa:
We see you. We grieve with you. We rise beside you.
May the world finally listen.
And may the silence that once protected violence be shattered for good.
Share if you feel safe and ready—your voice might be the lifeline someone else needs.
And if you do share, remember to cite the messenger.
Words carry legacy.
[wesurviveabuse.com] | [survivoraffirmations.com] | [rosaschildren.com]
