Could Pacific communities lead discussions on gender curriculum in schools?

Mental health and rainbow community workers are calling on the government to keep the current relationship and sexuality education in schools, despite a coalition promise to scrap them

More than 4,250 people and organisations have signed an open letter to oppose this move, including the Mental Health Foundation, NZ College of Clinical Psychologists and the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa.

Former MP Louisa Wall, and who's role as the Pacific ambassador for gender equality ended in March, is a proud member of the rainbow community, and says different forms of gender expression have been a longstanding part of Pacific and Māori culture.

“Identities like takatāpui, fa’afafine, fakaleitī, fa’atama, fa’ateine, we've existed forever, and so we have the right to authentically represent our cultural identities proudly.”

Wall says the Pacific community and schools may be able to guide and lead changes to what’s taught in schools.

“The Pacific has a lot to teach the rest of the world about how loving and embracing we are of all members of our families.

“The guidelines from the Ministry actually empower each school to develop their own guidelines … so there will be mechanisms at a grassroots level, at a school level, where we can be really clear that gender isn’t an ideology, it’s a reality, and it’s a cultural reality because of the expressions we have and that we accept, embrace and nurture and love across Pacific communities.”

Wall, when speaking on 531pi's Pacific Mornings, says current guidelines help to protect different forms of gender expression and acceptance.

“Those guidelines are really important to provide tools for our children so that they understand their bodies, they understand what good and bad touching is, what relationships are and how they develop relationships with their family members.”

The letter says removing these guidelines from schools “disempowers schools and threatens to derail efforts to created safer and more inclusive school environments” and “tells rainbow staff and tauira (students) that they don’t deserve to be safe at school or work”.

Wall says the current guidelines help to define healthy relationships, equality and consent.

“This is so that we start to disrupt some of the high rates of sexual and family violence that we have, and we can only really do that providing our kids with the right tools so they know what that’ll mean.

“Otherwise, unfortunately, we’re going to keep perpetuating this philosophy of women as chattels, and that men can do whatever they want with them, to their own gratification.”

Gender issues became a contentious election issue, with New Zealand First promising to "remove gender ideology from the curriculum" in their party manifesto.

“They’re trying to frame it as ‘there’s a big conspiracy around gender ideology’”, says Wall. “Well, it’s not a conspiracy.”

Watch the full interview with Louisa Wall on Pacific Mornings: