The equity I see is different for you and me
Abstract
In our positions as Māori and Pasifika wāhine educators, Matalena Tuiloma (Samoan, Tuvaluan) and Kay-Lee Jones (Te Whānau a Kai, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, Ngāti Porou), we have a range of roles in supporting our families and communities, as well as our work within the education system. These roles can seem, at times, all consuming, yet our sense of purpose towards betterment for our peoples is at the heart of what we do. Pūrākau (storytelling) and talanoa (conversation, sharing of ideas) were the methods used to express our journeys as Māori and Pasifika wāhine navigating the Aotearoa New Zealand education system. We are mothers, teachers and past students. We advocate for equitable outcomes for our ākonga (students) and their families, which often entails being the Māori or Pasifika representative in a range of spheres. What we prioritise and deem important as Māori or Pasifika female educators is often quite different to many of our non-Māori or non-Pasifika counterparts.
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