About the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry
The Waitangi Tribunal will hear claims which allege prejudice to wāhine Māori due to Te Tiriti o Waitangi breaches by the Crown. These claims extend across many fields of Crown policy, practice, acts, and omissions. The claims are both historical and current.
The first claim was lodged in 1993 and officially launched as an inquiry in 2018. When the Inquiry launched, the Ministry for Women was provided resources to lead and coordinate this work to ensure meaningful participation for claimants and to coordinate the Crown’s response for the completion of judicial proceedings.
Who is involved and why?
Waitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal is a standing commission of inquiry with court-like powers, led by a judge and expert panel. It hears evidence, conducts research, and makes findings and recommendations for the Crown to consider.
Claimants and their counsel
The claimant community is made up of either individual claimants or groups of claimants who have lodged claims with the Waitangi Tribunal, alleging breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Counsel can be funded through legal aid.
Ministry for Women and Te Puni Kōkiri
The Ministry, alongside Te Puni Kōkiri, is co-leading the Crown’s response to the Wai 2700 Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry. They work closely with the Crown Law Office and collaboratively with government agencies to ensure quality advice is provided to the tribunal, Ministers and government agencies.
The role of the Ministry is to:
- Provide practical support to claimants so they can participate and prepare for public hearings. See the the Claimant Hub.
- Enable a unified Crown response to the claims by collaborating with government agency colleagues.
- Proactively identify emerging themes and insights which may inform initiatives that support wāhine Māori.
Joint Research Committee
The Joint Research Committee leads the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry’s research evidence work. This roopū is made up of appointed claimant representatives from lead claimant groups. The roopū’s role is to monitor the quality of research and make strong evidencial submissions to the Waitangi Tribunal to ensure it addresses key issues affecting wāhine Māori claimants.
What work is involved?
The Ministry’s inquiry work programme has been organised across four phases, in line with the Waitangi Tribunal judicial process. This work outlines what is involved to examine each claim issue that has been lodged and accepted by the Waitangi Tribunal.
Phase | Description of phase | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 - Foundational Hearings Phase | Phase 1 was to set the foundations for the Inquiry. It focused on understanding the lives of wāhine Māori in pre-colonial times. The Waitangi Tribunal held six hearing weeks and these findings were issued. | 2019 - 2023 |
| Phase 2 - Research Phase | In Phase 2, the Ministry’s role was to understand the extent of the key claim issues and the corresponding evidence through environmental scans, and the commissioning of substantive research. See more information on the research programme. | 2023 – 2025 |
| Phase 3 - Substantial Hearings Phase Currently underway | Phase 3 is the judicial-led process where the Waitangi Tribunal, claimants, their counsel and the Crown come together in a coordinated way to present research evidence and cross-examine content. See an outline of the upcoming hearing weeks. | 2025 – 2027 |
| Phase 4 - Crown Response Phase | Phase 4 will commence when the Waitangi Tribunal has reviewed the claim issues and drafted its findings and recommendations for its final report. A copy of the final report will then be provided to the Crown to determine the appropriate actions to improve outcomes for wāhine Māori. | 2028 and beyond |
When do hearing weeks take place?
Six foundational hearings (Tūāpapa) were completed between 2019 – 2023. The substantive hearing weeks started in June 2025, with eight more hearing weeks set to be held up until December 2027. The timetable below provides a schedule of hearing weeks. Hearing dates, including unforeseen date changes, will be added when they are confirmed by the Waitangi Tribunal.
| Hearing week and kaupapa | Dates |
|---|---|
| Hearing Week 1 - Leadership | 03 – 06 Jun 2025 |
| Hearing Week 2 – Leadership | 04 – 08 May 2026 |
| Hearing Week 3 – Leadership | 11 – 15 May 2026 |
| Hearing Week 4 – Economy | Oct 2026 |
| Hearing Week 5 – Whakapapa/Whānau | Feb 2027 |
| Hearing Week 6 - Whakapapa/Whānau | May 2027 |
| Hearing Week 7 – Whakapapa/Whānau | Aug 2027 |
| Hearing Week 8 - Environment | Nov 2027 |
| Hearing Week 9 – Remedies | Dec 2027 |