Happy 59th Birthday to the Maori Women's Welfare League!

Tariana Turia, Co-leader of the Maori Party, has congratulated the Maori Women's Welfare League for close on sixty years of service and leadership across Maori communities.

"I want to acknowledge the fortitude and the commitment of the League, who have worked so hard to advocate on behalf of our whanau, particularly on behalf of wahine Maori. I think about the initiatives they have pioneered in housing, in employment and training, in mobilising electoral participation And of course the Maori Women's Development Inc has been a unique lender to encourage Maori business innovation and enterprise.

"Te Ropu Wahine Maori Toko i te ora was established from some ambitious aims. It grew out of the 1945 Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act and was seen as a key way of advancing the representation of Maori women at all levels of influence.

"The Maori Party acknowledges this year will be difficult for the League with the recent passing of their President Meagan Joe; and we wanted to let them know - as they gather in Hastings for their annual hui - of our great support for their mahi".

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