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Rangatahi pūrākau

These pūrākau are from some of the rangatahi interviews. They address challenges that can arise in a journey to becoming a sexual being. Each is followed by enquiry questions taken from the research interviews, these are designed support you to reflect on how they relate to people, how unhelpful ideas about gender and sexuality can impact them, and how they can create new ways of being and becoming sexual.

Explore more rangatahi pūrākau that might be helpful guidance in a journey to becoming a sexual being.

Hannah's Story

Hannah liked to dress provocatively and often wore tight tops and short shorts. She also likes to wear make-up and took a lot of time to perfect her look from videos on the internet. She felt she had a good figure and was happy to receive attention from boys when she showed it off. She’d had a few boyfriends in the past, but nothing long-term.  She wasn’t sold on committing to anything too serious before she’d figured out what she wanted for the rest of her life, plenty of time for grown up stuff later. Other young people at her school had told her she was a slut, she’d gotten a few mystery calls and unsolicited dick pics including some of the older boys at school. She was very hurt when she discovered that someone had written her name and phone number in the boys’ toilets with the message ‘call Hannah if you want a good time and good head’. 

  • How might Hannah’s mana as a wahine might be undermined by others?

  • How do we see colonial sexism and misogyny in her narrative?

  • How might our confidence and empowerment be misinterpreted by others based in gender norms?

Rangi's Story

Rangi got invited by some of her older brother’s friends to a university party.  She was so excited to meet older students and get to know what uni was like before she started the next year. Because she wanted to make a good impression, she bought herself a new dress that she thought made her look mature, put on makeup and got her friend to buy her a box of Long Whites and come with as her plus one.  Rangi’s night went very differently than she had planned. Early on in the evening, one of her brother’s friends was smashed and approached her trying to chat her up.  She ignored him, but he was so persistent.  He told her he knew she was keen cause he could see her bra straps and they looked like the sort of bra you wear to impress.  She hit him with her best pūkana, grabbed her mate and they left the party for a better one.  She felt yuck all night, but her friend had her back and turned their failed night out into a fun night in with her fave TV shows and the best snacks.

  • How can we support our friends, or be supported by our friends in unsure spaces and scary situations?

  • How do we navigate situations where we expect to be safe, and end up unsafe instead?

  • What can we do to make sure that the people around us know that hanging out is not consent?

Taylor's Story

Taylor was very outspoken and direct, they always had been and when they grew up and started exploring relationships found that this was a really helpful personality trait.  Taylor’s first partner was a bit older than Taylor, they weren’t at school anymore and sometimes treated Taylor like a kid.  When their partner suggested they start having sex, Taylor laid a firm boundary.  Taylor told their partner if they wanted to have sex, they needed to do a better job at respecting Taylor’s wishes.  

  • How might Taylor’s approach be informed by mātauranga and pūrakau about the mana of wāhine?

  • How might this be helpful in standing up to colonial sexism & misogyny?

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