ABSTRACT
This chapter explains key concepts, origins, and applications of Mana Wahine as a feminist form of Māori theory from Aotearoa New Zealand, which can be mobilized in social and educational research for decolonizing purposes. Māori women have always been part of Māori political struggles, as well as the local women’s movement since at least the 1970s, but this article focuses mainly on the key ideas presented in academic Mana Wahine publications. In the academy, reflections on the struggles and achievements of Māori women have resulted in the emergence of Mana Wahine theory, as a tradition and identity for the work of feminist Māori academics working across the disciplines, from those in Māori studies and Māori education to sociology, psychology, legal, medical, political, business, literary, arts and sports studies, etc. The aim of this chapter is to delineate clearly the full range of meanings of Mana Wahine as an academic tradition, including its points of departure from “feminism” as such and its central significance for decolonizing Māori futures.
