Meri Te Tai Mangakahia

Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia in the 1890s

Meri Te Tai Mangakahia (22 May 1868 – 10 October 1920) was a campaigner for women's suffrage in New Zealand.

Biography

Mangakahia was born in Lower Waihou near Panguru in the Hokianga valley. A member of the Te Rarawa iwi, she was the daughter of Re Te Tai, an influential chief, and was educated at St Mary's Convent in Auckland.

Mangakahia was the wife of Hamiora Mangakahia, who, in 1892, was elected Premier of the Kotahitanga Parliament in Hawke's Bay. The following year, Meri Mangakahia addressed the assembly (the first woman to do so), submitting a motion in favour of women being allowed to vote for, and stand as, members of the Parliament. She noted that Māori women were landowners, and should not be barred from political representation.

She later joined the women’s committee of the Kotahitanga movement, remaining involved in Māori politics and welfare movements.

She died of influenza at Panguru on 10 October 1920 according to family members. She had 4 children.

External links

• "So that women may receive the vote", text of Meri Te Tai Mangakahia's address to the Kotahitanga Parliament in 1893, website of the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage

References

• Biography on the website of the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage
• Biography at the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

Persondata
Name	Mangakahia, Meri
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	22 May 1868
Place of birth
Date of death	10 October 1920
Place of death