Ensure solutions reflect the aspirations and elevate the voice of tāngata whaikaha Māori Tāngata whaikaha Māori who are affected by violence and abuse have many of the same needs as others in the same situation, but also specific needs related to the intersecting nature of being Māori and living with disabilities. Solutions to preventing violence against tāngata whaikaha Māori must recognise the diverse effects violence has on that specific group, and responses must be tailored according to the aspirations, needs, and rangatiratanga of tāngata whaikaha Māori regarding support and accessibility to services, facilities and information. Solutions should be inclusive of whānau, hapū and iwi. Violence prevention and response policy and practice should be designed using a “twin track” approach. One track must ensure universal services are accessible to disabled people, and the other must provide specialist, tailored services to meet their specific needs. Both of these ‘twin tracks’ must be grounded in Te Tiriti and meet the needs of tāngata whaikaha Māori. Solutions to preventing violence and abuse against tāngata whaikaha Māori must not be premised on Crown objectives but must reflect the aspirations of tāngata whaikaha, their whānau, hapū, and iwi. Upholding ōritetanga (equity) under article 3 of Te Tiriti requires tāngata whaikaha Māori, their whānau and communities to be able to participate as equals in society, free from racism and discrimination. Government and duty-bearers must strive for equity. As long as socio-economic disparities exist for tāngata whaikaha Māori, Te Tiriti will not be upheld. Pathways and solutions towards equity must be addressed through tāngata whaikaha Māori-defined policy intent. Where Government and other duty-bearers issue strategic statements indicating a commitment to reducing violence and abuse for Māori, they should reference tāngata whaikaha Māori as one of the groups most affected. Policies and practices must recognise the significant barriers that exist to preventing violence for tāngata whaikaha Māori, their whānau, hapū, Iwi and communities to and develop solutions that meet these specific 20 Human Rights Commission needs. Solutions should be accessible for tāngata whaikaha Māori and their communities, and staff implementing programmes and services must be trained and understand their self-defined needs and aspirations. Policies and practices must not impede tāngata whaikaha Māori, their whānau and communities from gaining access to support. A Tikanga Māori approach to preventing violence and abuse means working with communities to address social and structural factors that enable violence. This requires integrating Te Ao Māori worldviews into preventing violence. A greater level of consultation with tāngata whaikaha Māori, their whānau, hapū and iwi is required for solutions to reflect their aspirations. Upholding tino rangatiratanga as guaranteed by Article 2 of Te Tiriti involves meeting the needs of tāngata whaikaha Māori, and engaging with tāngata whaikaha Māori about decisions that affect them. To respond appropriately to the disparities tāngata whaikaha Māori face, Government and other duty bearers must draw upon the insights and lived experiences of tāngata whaikaha Māori affected by violence, and their whānau, hapū and iwi. Moving towards equity will require duty-bearers allowing Māori to self-define their needs and aspirations. As was found by Kaiwai and Allport:100 ‘Many of the interviewees who talked about ‘needs’ also spoke about problematic definitions of how need is defined by services and systems, and that real system analysis and recognition of ‘need’ requires a new conversation that transcends imposed ‘tick-boxes’... We should be moving more to a strength-based opportunity for conversation, where you have open ended conversation and whānau will be asked ‘How are you coping? Is there anything you need?’. Reframing conversations about need means looking also at aspirations and goals of Whānau Hauā (tāngata whaikaha), and going beyond struggling to receive the basics. Even for interviewees who struggled everyday with the system around ‘the basics’ it was seen as important to talk about aspirational needs.’

Select target paragraph3