Pacific children and young people also talked about expectations from their parents to achieve at school and make them proud. For some, this resulted in feelings of pressure. Another common message was that schools and teachers could have greater cultural competency and should listen to, and amplify, the voices of children and young people. Overall, children and young people who identified as Pacific reflected that their relationships with their families and the sharing of cultural activities including oral traditions and faiths, as central to their lives. In the human rights context, these elements of wellbeing are analogous to rights to an adequate standard of living, to take part in cultural life and to be free from discrimination, founded on the principles of inherent dignity and equality. These elements of wellbeing highlight the intersection between Pacific values and cultures and key principles of human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand. Economic wellbeing and children Statistics New Zealand data showed that 28 percent of Pacific children lived in households where there was material hardship,44 defined as having a DEP17 score of six or more.45 The data also showed that 14 percent of Pacific children lived in a household where there as severe material hardship, defined as a having a DEP17 score of nine or more.46 In response to a 2019 report by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group on welfare reforms, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) highlighted that government support for children, via direct payments, could be improved.47 CPAG’s response focused on directing increased support to children supported by a core Work and Income benefit. It also recommended that parents who received benefits could be allowed more hours of paid work 44 45 46 47 48 49 18 before their benefits were reduced and that asset benchmarks for accommodation support were increased, to ensure more children had access to affordable housing. CPAG also recommended that Work and Income could improve its customer service and case management, ensuring that all entitlements were being offered proactively. The latest review of Aotearoa New Zealand by the Committee for the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 2016 highlighted the following improvements relevant to Pacific children:48 • Government collection and use of data to understand Pacific children’s needs • Addressing disparities in accessing education, health, minimum standards of living • Combatting negative attitudes in society about Pacific children • Support for raising children The Committee for the Rights of the Child recommended that the government considers the needs of Pacific children in low-income settings in its policy-making about housing, health services and climate change. Rights of women Pacific cultures have traditionally honoured women in society, from the ancient legends of warriors such as Salamasina and Nafanua to the modern Tongan matriarchal structures of the fahu. Traditionally, churches have taught that women were subservient to men, however more recently, some churches have worked to overcome those teachings and the resulting societal attitudes.49 Pacific traditions of gender also include the unique genders of the Statistics New Zealand: Child Poverty Statistics – year ended June 2019, table 3.03 Percentage of children living in households in New Zealand in each financial year who fell in: Material hardship. DEP-17 is a well-established deprivation index developed by the Ministry for Social Development (MSD) for New Zealand. Thresholds will be set at a DEP-17 score of 6 or more for material hardship, and at a DEP-17 score of 9 or more for severe material hardship. Statistics New Zealand: Child Poverty Statistics – year ended June 2019, table 8.03 Percentage of children living in households in New Zealand in each financial year who fell in: Severe Material Hardship. Child Poverty Action Group, 2019: What the government needs to do now to lift children out of poverty, accessed from: https://www.cpag.org.nz/assets/190828%20CPAG%20response%20to%20Whakamana%20Tangata.pdf. Committee on the Rights of the Child Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of New Zealand 2016 CRC/C/ NZL/CO/5. Koloto and Sharma (2005). Talanoa: Human rights issues for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand