It's international women’s day and this year’s theme is 'Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives'.
Māori community leader Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish says the day is also important for Māori women to celebrate their social, cultural, economic and political achievements.
Naida Glavish says about women, “I believe the proverbial saying, 'the kumara does not brag about its own sweetness,' should be discarded. But stay humble.”
With women given a global day to celebrate their achievements, Glavish says it's important for Māori women to also feel empowered.
“I believe truly in women, not only because we give life. However, we're also nurturers. So my only plead to Māori women is that they stand strong.”
In 2011, Glavish was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and the community.
However, she firmly believes in Māori recognition when it comes to this particular day to celebrate women from across the globe.
“I'm inspired by the ancestor Rewi Maniapoto's wife who stood and fought by him," says Glavish, "Even in my region of Northland, Hine-A-Maru, and Waimirirangi. Those significant women have not been recognised in our occasion for global women or shall I say International Women’s Day. We carry our own dignity.”
Glavish has been bestowed with the title of Dame and will be knighted on the 2nd of May.
