On 7 November 202, the New Zealand Association of Women Judges adopted the new name of Te Kāhui Kaiwhakawā Wāhine o Aotearoa. The tohu and the name explain who the association is and what it aspires to achieve: the pursuit of justice and truth through compassion and empathy. Here’s an outline of where the name comes from and its meaning.
“Te Kāhui denotes a flock and a dynamic sense of coming together of people of rank as women judges. It inspires us to work together with energy and drive mindful of our integrity and responsibility as judges. We are grateful to our tuākana Caren Fox and all our Māori women members for this precious gift,” explains Mary O’Dwyer.
The tohu for the association was created by Ngāti Porou artist Kerry Johnston and the final design a collaboration between Kerry and graphic designer Lisa Lodge. Here is Kerry’s explanation of the elements in this beautiful art work:
“I have drawn from the courage and integrity of Hine-te-iwaiwa renowned for her expertise in women’s affairs, and especially her protection of child birth and child rearing practices. Hine-te-iwaiwa faced and overcame many challenges as a female Atua and mother. The triangle shapes represent the strength of the mountains and acknowledging the relationship between the spiritual world, natural world and humankind. The three lines represent the values of pono - genuine / sincere, tika – true / right, aroha – compassion / empathy.”