Fighting for right to live
The Whakatu Wa¯ hine phrase represents women — and all people — standing for the rights of women (Ministry for Women “A Symbol for Suffrage 125”).
I want to tell you about a woman who is fighting for her right to live. Wiki Mulholland, Nga¯ ti Kahungunu and
Ra¯ ngitane, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer which has now spread to other parts of her body. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy to extend her life so she can spend more time with her wha¯ nau and raise funds for the treatment which costs $6800 a month.
She requires treatment that is not funded by Pharmac. Wiki and her husband Malcolm have been campaigning non-stop to raise awareness about this issue. As Malcolm says “A person’s bank balance shouldn’t determine whether a person gets to live or die, or for how long” (Te Karere, 13/9/19). The New Zealand Ma¯ ori Council has heard Wiki’s voice and have called for an urgent enquiry into the unavailability of high-cost treatment for breast cancer.
Wiki is a fighter — she stood for Hastings District Council at the age of 20 to have the voice of young women heard in local politics. She has continued that theme in all her endeavours as a wife, mother, wha¯ nau member and strong advocate for having the voice of the community, particularly Ma¯ ori women, heard. Her latest battle is not only about her will to live, it is a fight for all women who are not afforded the opportunity to live simply because they cannot afford treatment.