An Affront to Her Mana: Young Māori Mothers’ Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Young Māori mothers in Aotearoa/New Zealand are disproportionately vulnerable to intimate partner violence (IPV) due to multiple intersecting factors, such as relationship dynamics during youth, pregnancy, and racialized Māori (Indigenous) identity. An enduring legacy of settler colonialism has resulted in Māori being overrepresented as victims and perpetrators of violence. IPV, in particular, leads to adverse social, mental, and health outcomes over time, including those specific to mothers (e.g., postpartum depression, miscarriage). This study analyzed six narrative interviews with young Māori mothers aged 14 to 19 from the E Hine longitudinal maternal health care study. Kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) was the primary research framework, which allowed for the use of Māori modes of engagement and the centering of Māori women’s voices in the research process. Using a thematic and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), we aimed to understand the lived realities of young Māori mothers who have experienced IPV and to examine the extent to which service responsiveness has been culturally safe. Our findings illustrated how IPV manifests in the relationships of these six women. Their stories showed the various ways in which young Māori women resist violence, reclaim their Māori identities, and experience personal transformation during their motherhood journeys despite abuse. We find that whānau (extended family) is both a violence-perpetuating and immensely protective factor. Moreover, there are structural and institutional barriers to culturally safe service responsiveness for young Māori women. These come in the form of racism at the frontlines of government agencies, pervasive victim-blaming, and a lack of earnest decolonial structural change at the institutional level. We conclude that social services must be multisectoral, culturally safe, and specialized for Māori youth and families to support Māori mothers experiencing IPV.