Fighting the good fight for rural women
Melva Robb joined a group for rural women when she was 12 years old.
More than 50 years later, Robb is still part of Rural Women New Zealand, which aims to connect women and provides a voice on health services, education, environment and social issues in the rural sector.
Robb said she was ‘‘absolutely blown away’’ on hearing she would be awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for her contribution to the rural community and women.
‘‘I feel there are a lot of others who are a lot more deserving than what I am,’’ she said.
Robb had been the Rural Women area leader for Marlborough, Nelson, Golden Bay and the West Coast for the past three years.
She had also sat on the national council during that time.
‘‘Having been a rural person all my life, it’s just something that’s come naturally to me.
‘‘You just work to make a better community for rural families.’’
Robb grew up in the remote Pelorus Sound, with ‘‘no roads’’ and only boat access. She lived in the Sounds for most of her life, before moving to urban Marlborough in 2008.
In the past two years, Robb had voiced concern on plans to increase the cost of burial plots in Marlborough, and school bus eligibility criteria for rural children, which meant some were walking to school along dangerous roads.
Robb and her sister, Glenda, also organised a unique, threeday festival last year called ‘‘101 Ways With Wool’’.
Robb led a team which coordinated more than 100 boxes of blankets, clothing and food to go to affected families when the earthquake hit in Christchurch in 2011. She did the same for people in Kaiko¯ ura in 2016.
They also regularly raised money for various groups.
In the early days of Rural Women NZ, founded in 1925, it supported women who lived in isolation, Robb said.
‘‘They fought for roads, they fought for rural schools, for dentist services, library services.’’ The organisation today was ‘‘just as important for some people’’ and they still lobbied on a variety of issues, as well as ‘‘being there for one another when needed’’.