Feminist Engagements in Aotearoa: 125 Years of Suffrage and Beyond
The significance of this conference is illustrated by a message of support (above) received from the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon.
Award-winning historian and author from the University of Otago, Professor Barbara Brookes, presented the keynote speech on Friday night. 'The Power of the Purse' tracked women’s struggle for financial independence in New Zealand, including the capacity to apply for loans or a mortgage.
Victoria University of Wellington’s Associate Professor Kate Hunter says many in the auditorium had personal experience of being refused loans because they were women, which was a reminder of how recent these sorts of restrictions were.
“Professor Brookes also reflected on the implications of the feminist fight for individual financial independence for Māori and Pasfika women, for whom finances have generally been communal and family-oriented,” says Associate Professor Hunter.
“Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora gave a powerful, personal and provocative keynote on Saturday morning, introducing us to Riperata Kahutia (c.1839–1887) who appeared in the Māori Land Court more than 60 times as a skilled advocate, witness and claimant,” says Associate Professor Hunter. “More than 500 pages of her evidence survives in the court's records and Professor Nikora examined whether or not the vote had made a difference for Māori women who already had political power, and how Māori women would thrive politically, economically, and culturally in Aotearoa,” she says.
Associate Professor Hunter says the two-day conference included more than 60 presentations and workshops asking challenging questions about abortion law reform, assisted reproduction, pay equity, historical representation, women's public presence and online life, violence against women, children and transgender people.
The closing address combined several of these themes, as journalist, musician, blogger and author Lizzie Marvelly guided the conference delegates into the world of younger women and LGBTQI+ youth, and talked about why she is a "modern day suffragist".