The Experiences of Kiribati Migrants
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THE IMPACT OF PAC POLICY ON PACIFIC WOMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLBEING: THE EXPERIENCES OF KIRIBATI MIGRANTS Rose Namoori-Sinclair A thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Victoria University of Wellington 2020 Keywords Kiribati words boua ni kaua: Young men in te maneaba setting.................................................... 47 bururu ma beroro: Rumours and unofficial conversation in te maneaba .............. 49 inaomata: Same meaning as toronibwai ................................................................. 55 kakawakin te aomata: Respect for the right of the individual ................................ 64 kieia ataei: Mats for children, which symbolises the kindness of the people to foreigners and visitors ............................................................................................ 56 maroroakina: To share or discuss ........................................................................... 75 maungatabu: Formal meeting ................................................................................. 47 onean te rau: Replacing the thatched roof .............................................................. 49 rorobuaka: Young men ........................................................................................... 48 tabakeauea: Another word for unimane that is not commonly used in today's language ................................................................................................................. 47 taburoroko: Forbidden, embarrassing and not culturally acceptable ...................... 51 te aki kakarongoa: Silence ...................................................................................... 34 te akoi: Kindness ..................................................................................................... 57 te aoa onoua: A disciplinary action ordered by unimane........................................ 51 te baintangira: Gift ................................................................................................ 101 te boti: Sitting space in te maneaba ......................................................................... 46 te bowi: A meeting ................................................................................................... 51 te bubuti: A request ................................................................................................. 99 te bukarere: Veranda of te maneaba ....................................................................... 49 te inaki: Portion under the roof allocated to each kainga ........................................ 47 te kaawa: Village ....................................................................................................... 3 te kainga: Extended family ........................................................................................ 3 te kakairua: Hospitality – way in which foreigners or visitors are welcomed with respect .................................................................................................................... 56 te karinerine: Respect .............................................................................................. 64 te karinrin: Traditional engagement ceremony ....................................................... 57 te kawawa: A cultural form of mobilising social capital or resources for helping each other ............................................................................................................... 50 te mama: Shyness .................................................................................................... 34 te maneaba ni Maungatabu: House of parliament ................................................. 63 te maneaba: A cultural meeting hall ......................................................................... ii te maroro: An exchange of stories or ideas .............................................................. iii te moanibwai: First important person or family in te maneaba cultural setting ..... 49 te mweaka: A formal gift ......................................................................................... 47 te nei ni kauatabakea: Sacred space surrounded by tabakeauea ............................ 47 te otabwa: Fiancée ................................................................................................... 57 te tangira: Love ....................................................................................................... 57 te tangobwai: A form of borrowing ......................................................................... 79 te uea: Kingship ....................................................................................................... 92 te utu: Family unit ..................................................................................................... 3 toronibwai: Well functioning and productive to make their own living without depending on others ............................................................................................... 55 The impact of PAC policy on Pacific women’s health and wellbeing: The experiences of Kiribati migrants i Abstract This research examines in-depth the health and wellbeing experiences of 30 Kiribati migrant women navigating their way to achieve New Zealand permanent residency under the Pacific Access Category (PAC) policy. The political and economic rationality underpinning PAC was to meet New Zealand’s labour demand for industrial growth. It also provides successful applicants with the opportunity to work, live and study in New Zealand indefinitely. The purpose of the research was two-fold. Firstly, to assess the health and wellbeing experiences of migrant women who travelled to New Zealand under the PAC scheme, using Kiribati women as a case study to comment on issues of responsibility for healthcare and wellbeing. Secondly, to identify gaps in personal and policy-related aspects of healthcare and wellbeing, and determine how access to appropriate healthcare and social services for PAC migrant women can be facilitated. The experiences of these migrant women indicated shortcomings in provision of health and social services that this thesis terms the ‘PAC gap’. Although the PAC policy offers them the opportunity to live permanently in New Zealand, the current state of the PAC policy features gaps in service provision that result in gender and health inequality, financial hardship and stress, poor housing, unemployment and poverty. The health and wellbeing impact of the existing conditions of the PAC policy was exacerbated by the contrasting influence of neoliberalism as a policy, ideology, and a form of governmentality in the New Zealand environment (Larner, 2000a; Suaalii, 2006), and the markedly different maneaba system that is central to the social and political life in Kiribati (Tabokai, 1993; Uakeia, 2017; Whincup, 2009). Te maneaba is a traditional meeting hall, where communal meetings take place, and unimane (male elders) make decisions for the governing and wellbeing of the village people (Tabokai, 1993). It is a form of governmentality that shapes and influences how an I-Kiribati thinks and acts (Foucault, 1991). This system is at odds with a neoliberal approach that stresses self-responsibility and individualism. These contrasting forms of governmentality ‘talk past each other’ or are totally different (Metge & Kinloch, 1984). I recruited 30 I-Kiribati women who were successful PAC migrants: six from Auckland, six from Hamilton, and eighteen from Wellington. These women were The impact of PAC policy on Pacific women’s health and wellbeing: The experiences of Kiribati migrants ii selected in different years from 2012 through to 2015. To identify the PAC gaps, I employed an indigenous research method called te maroro/talanoa (to exchange ideas and experience freely and openly), complemented by the use of the feminist oral history method that transfers the needs and voices of women from the margin to the centre. This thesis draws on Foucault’s governmentality theory, a critical discourse on neoliberalism, and research on migration and the colonial history of Kiribati. It also draws on work by both Pacific and non-Pacific scholars that articulate how health and wellbeing are rooted in our lived culture and values. This thesis also stresses the need for cultural competency and integration of policy, service provision and community engagement. These materials have all guided my analysis to unpack the women’s health and wellbeing experiences. The research findings on the drawbacks of neoliberal governmentality and maneaba governmentality, and understanding of te maneaba system in a new way, strengthen Pacific studies. These contribute to the literature on Kiribati’s indigenous knowledge and cultural values and Kiribati migration as well as to the impact and effectiveness of the PAC policy for Kiribati and Pacific migration. This thesis demonstrates the need to extend the engagement of Pacific indigenous knowledge and values to the design and implementation of policies at national, regional and global levels. This thesis recommends a hybrid neoliberal-maneaba residential model to address the issues of the current system, such as stress and difficulty finding a job offer, and close PAC gaps. The new model entails a more open and transparent communication between both the New Zealand and Kiribati governments when designing a cultural competent and coherent strategic framework. By working in the best interests of all parties