SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY WORK

Te Ao Hou, March 1960, Page 63

SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY WORK Maoris have always preferred group work and team efforts to the situation where an individual toils on alone. However, the participation of Maori women in group and committee work was brought to the fore and intensified by the setting up of the Maori Women's Welfare League some ten years ago. The League, with its Dominion Executive, its National Conference held each year and its branches extending from Cape Reinga to the Bluff has opened new horizons to Maori women every-where. It expands their interest from the home into the community and from the community on spread organisation and had the opportunity to South East Asia. Already four or five Maori women have attended conferences of this wideis affiliated to the Pan-Pacific Association of National Conference. Then in turn the League to the national scene when delegates attend the meet and exchange views with women of China and Japan, Australia, India and Ceylon, Samoa and other countries of the Pacific area. League enables us to meet up with similar organisations of pakeha women through National Council of Women. The League stresses the importance of the home, the child, health and education. It has indicated our responsibilities at the community, national and international levels. Thus the League provides a platform on which modern Moari women can accept the challenge of their responsibilities and grapple with the problems of today. At the same time it has its social side which fosters Maoritanga in its own special way. On the other hand this organisation has been criticised (sometimes justly so) for the limited activity of some of its branches and the apathy of many of its members. Even where this is true the League is justified in having opened the door upon new scenes of this new world. Even before the establishment of the League, our women took part in Komiti maraes and the established groups such as Women's Institutes, Women's Division and Church Guilds. The Komiti Maraes were purely local in interest and the established groups attracted only limited numbers of Maori women. Maoris in general are notably reluctant to participate in groups with predominantly pakeha membership. This is a failing of the modern Maori which must be overcome if we are to play our part fully in the future. Numerous groups, school committees and local body will accept Maori members but expect them to come forward of their own accord. This is particularly so as the Maori population increases in Auckland and other centres. We cannot always expect that places will be reserved for Maoris on these committees—we must overcome our reluctances play our part to the full and earn our rightful place.