The Kōura Doesn’t Just Appear: Leading for Intersectional Equity with Ririki Haumaru | Safekids Aotearoa
Image from my keynote, “Don’t Leave Us Behind: Leading for Intersectional Equity in Health and Beyond.”
True safety begins long before an injury; it starts when systems see every child, every whānau, and every identity.
Last week, I had the honour of spending the day with the incredible Ririki Haumaru | Safekids Aotearoa team, where I was invited to speak about disability, intersectionality, and the power of bringing all of our identities into our mahi.
From the first mihi to the final reflections, it was clear: this team isn’t just talking about child safety, they’re living it, with courage, empathy, and deep purpose.
I shared my keynote, “Don’t Leave Us Behind: Leading for Intersectional Equity in Health and Beyond,” where I spoke about standing at the intersections of being Māori, Pacific, takatāpui, rural, disabled, neurodiverse, and a survivor, and how those experiences have shaped both my leadership and my vision for inclusive systems.
We explored how hope alone doesn’t change systems; action does. That’s the foundation of what I call The Kōura Equation:
Equity = Action + Investment.
Because wishing for equity won’t build safer systems for our tamariki | children, only action, accountability, and resources will.
What inspired me most
The reflections from the team were deeply encouraging. Many spoke about how refreshing it was to discuss multiple identities, without making one “less than” another, and how they were now questioning the difference between talking about equity and delivering it in practice.
They recognised that intersectionality isn’t just a theory for social sectors, it’s a leadership framework...
What struck me most was their willingness to move from reflection to action. They recognised that intersectionality can be woven directly into sthat can be directly applied to their strategic planning and child injury prevention mahi.
Together, we explored how they could weave intersectional practice into their upcoming strategy by:
Programme design: ensuring child injury prevention initiatives reflect the realities of diverse whānau, particularly Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rural communities.
Data interpretation: moving beyond population averages to identify who’s missing and why.
Partnerships: strengthening co-design with iwi, hapū, disability networks, and Rainbow communities to design safety solutions that reflect the whole person.
Team culture: creating spaces for honest kōrero about privilege, power, and lived experience, guided by manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and aroha.
That’s intersectionality in action, turning awareness into leadership, and strategy into equity that’s measurable, felt, and lived.
About Ririki Haumaru | Safekids Aotearoa
For those unfamiliar with their mahi | work, Ririki Haumaru | Safekids Aotearoa is New Zealand’s national child injury prevention service, proudly part of Starship Children’s Hospital and Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora.
Their mission is simple but vital: to reduce the incidence and severity of unintentional injuries to children aged 0–14 years. Their vision: that all tamariki in Aotearoa enjoy a childhood free from traumatic, preventable injury.
Safekids works with over 30 provider organisations nationally, most of which work directly with Māori and Pacific whānau, and partners closely with clinicians, hospitals, and community leaders. ACC, the Ministry of Health, and the Starship Foundation support their work.
They bring together whānau voices, child injury data, and programme insights to empower communities across Aotearoa to create safer environments for children grounded in connection, identity, and trust.
The legacy of our kōrero
Preparing for this kōrero reminded me that:
Safety isn’t just the absence of harm; it’s the presence of belonging.
When systems make space for every identity, every whānau | family, and every story, we build trust.
When we act on that trust, we build safety.
And when we build safety, we build equity.
That’s the kōura, the reward that comes from persistence, courage, and collective mahi.
Ngā mihi nui ki te whānau o Ririki Haumaru | Safekids Aotearoa for your openness, your reflection, and your leadership. You’re not just catching the kōura, you’re showing us how to share it.
🔗 Follow me for more reflections on systems change, equity leadership, and human rights diplomacy.
🖤 Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna. | Seek out the distant horizons so they may become close. Hold fast to the close horizons so they may be secured.