At the Māori Women’s Leadership Summit in Wellington in December, the Federation of Māori Authorities announced a new award aimed at Māori women leaders in business. The award is backed by Westpac and will be given at the Māori Business Awards in Napier in May.

The award is a celebration and acknowledgement of Māori women as business leaders in their community, industries, hapū and iwi.

Michelle Hippolite sees the creation of the award as a positive step towards raising the profile of Māori women leaders. “As I travel around Aotearoa New Zealand I am inspired by the women I meet who have taken up the challenge to lead their iwi or hapū or who are private business entrepreneurs. Raising their profile by celebrating their success is important for setting role models for tomorrow’s leaders”.

Michelle has been meeting with other Māori women leaders acknowledging the importance of staying connected and in touch with people who are shaping the economic and cultural future for Māori. In October, Michelle met with a group of Māori women chief executives and general managers from the Te Moana a Toi region. The meeting was an opportunity to meet kanohi ki te kanohi and share ideas and experiences. The women brought with them a range of experiences having worked across a diversity of backgrounds —education, law, nursing, clergy, teaching, radio announcing and the public service.

A common theme the women discussed was mana wahine and the complexity of raising a whānau while managing the obligations and responsibilities that came with the leadership roles within their iwi.

Michelle says of the kōrero, “Dedication and commitment are the pronounced values amongst this group of women. As leaders they have stepped outside their traditional roles to contribute to developing iwi economic opportunities and improving whānau well-being. They are inspiring catalysts for change”.

image:Rear: Michelle Hippolitte. Dickie Farrar. Bev Adlam. Bettina Maxwell. Te Waiti Rangiwai. Hemana Eruera. Tangi Tipene. Herataimai Eruera. Shaneen Simpson-Almond. Front: Kirsti Luke. Rahera Ohia.