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Dr. Kelly Waiana Tikao Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu
PhD, RCpN, Cert.Te Reo, BA Māori, MsciComm
Donald Beasley Institute, New Zealand

 

Kei konei au – the layers that confine me but will not define me.

Tikao, K.
15-minute Oral Presentation
Wednesday 11 December, 1:30pm

Wāhine whaikaha, D/deaf and disabled women experience high rates of family and sexual violence. Yet, little is known about how mainstream or specialist services can better respond to their specific needs.  Disabled people have told the government they want a disability rights-based approach to family and sexual violence prevention and support services. The Donald Beasley Institute instigated, Te Whakawhanake Whakautu Ara Rua mō te Riri ā-Whare me te Taitōkai ki te Wāhine Whaikaha – a two year national research project funded by HRC that investigated a potential twin track response to wāhine whaikaha impacted by violence. There are three study strands: Disabled Women, Service Sector and Kaupapa Māori. The latter is led by Dr Kelly Tikao with Kaimahi from Kaupapa Māori services and Wāhine Whaikaha.

​The quotes were plenty and the tears flowed. The knowledge was immense and the experience of Kaimahi and Wāhine Māori in unimaginable situations was intensely sad. A poignant finding was that the layers of violence matched the layers of invisibility of wāhine whaikaha. Their needs and narratives were not in the psyche of many which perpetuated a severe vulnerability and kept wāhine whaikaha in violent situations.

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