WISPA is pleased to announce the appointment of Mere Rangihuna (Ngāti Hine me Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara) to the Board.
Mere Rangihuna has a wealth of experience in sports governance, leadership, management and administration. With over 30 years of hands-on expertise in the school, club, regional and national sports organisations and teams’ space, she is committed to delivering high performance in hauora, sports & events operations, management, administration, governance, and organisational leadership.
She is the current Team Manager for the AVIS Magic Netball team (Waikato Bay of Plenty) that competes in the ANZ Premiership.
Mere is passionate about working in fun, innovative, whānau-oriented environments that enhance the mana of others. She has been an integral member of WISPA’s rōpū He Wāhine Toa Kei Te Kokiri (Women Making Strong Moves) and, via the group, contributed to WISPA’s refreshed strategic plan and supported the delivery of the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport and its First Nations Workshop.
Mere said about her appointment: “Joining the WISPA board is a tremendous privilege. I’m grateful to have another opportunity to contribute to WISPA’s kaupapa following the recent success of the IWG World Conference. I’m excited about the future direction and hope my cognitive experiences and passion for kaupapa māori will strengthen the mahi WISPA wants to do for indigenous women and girls across Aotearoa.”
For the first time in IWG history, an indigenous-focused kaupapa was delivered as part of the World Conference thanks to the vision and mahi of He Wāhine Toa Kei Te Kokiri. 115 individuals representing 14 cultures attended. The gathering contributed to the Indigenous Statement that was presented to the IWG network on the final day, which included 16 actions that will support and provide a safe and equitable environment for indigenous women and girls globally. WISPA is committed to ensuring these actions are taken on board through our ongoing advocacy work and future programmes.
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- Prue Kapua, Chair of Māori Women’s Development Incorporated (MWDI), delivering the Indigenous Statement at IWG 2022
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- Prue Kapua and Annemarie Phelps (IWG UK Co-Chair)
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- Māori wāhine participants and He Wāhine Toa Kei Te Kokiri at IWG 2022
Sarah Leberman MNZM, co-chair, said: “I have valued Mere’s contribution to date as she provides a different and insightful perspective to our kaupapa. This is especially important as we seek to understand better the needs of indigenous women and girls in the sport and recreation environment. Her expertise in supporting equitable outcomes for Māori will help WISPA to advocate for minority groups across Aotearoa.”
Since the successful delivery of IWG 2022, WISPA now turns its attention to vamping up the WISPA Insight Hub and its nationwide network. The Insight Hub launched a year ago and is the home of research, case studies, toolkits and reports that showcase and support the gender equity work taking place in Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands. The nationwide network will officially launch in the second quarter of this year.
The full membership of the WISPA Board is now:
- Julie Paterson (co-chair, and co-founder)
- Sarah Leberman MNZM (co-chair, and co-founder)
- Pauline Harrison
- Martin Snedden CNZM
- Erin Roxburgh-Makea (Ngāti Porou)
- Tim Corbett
- Kelly Evans
- Mary Gardiner
- Mere Rangihuna (Ngāti Hine me Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara)
- Jayne Jordan (Taranaki, Nga Mahanga) – non-voting associate member
Click here to find out more about all WISPA Board Members.
- Download a copy of the IWG 2022 report
- Download a copy of the IWG Indigenous Statement
- Watch highlights of the First Nations Workshop below
