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Women's Studies Association (NZ)/Pae Akoranga Wāhine

Rosemary Seymour
Research & Archives Awards

In 1974 Rosemary Seymour, a Waikato sociologist, initiated a newsletter and a network of women interested in women's studies, that evolved into the Women's Studies Association (NZ)/Pae Akoranga Wāhine. In 1985 this fund was established in her memory. Donations are always welcome.

The fund enables us to make two awards of $1500 each, one for which only Māori women may apply, while the second is open to all women. Women's groups may also apply for either award.

There is no form to fill out. Written applications, sent as a Word document attachment, should include the following:

  • Name of applicant
  • For Māori applicants: iwi and hapū, or geographic region;
  • Postal address;
  • Title and aim of project;
  • Institutional affiliation or organisational involvement, if any;
  • Purpose/Justification;
  • Literature relevant to this project, if any;
  • Research strategies;
  • Relationship between the project and the Aims of the Association, listed below (this is important);
  • How the award will be used (give some indication of the budget for the study and the way in which the grant would contribute to the completion of the project);
  • Other sources of funding for this project (please indicate these sources);
  • If you are enrolled as a student, please state your course (e.g. M.Sc., M.A., PhD) and year of study.
  • Lastly, please state in your email letter if you are applying for the Open to All Women award or the Māori Women award. You cannot apply for both awards.

Download this information in docx form.

Applications should be sent by email attachment, no earlier than 1 September and by 15th November, to Dr Julie Benjamin at: jben005@gmail.com
Please use your last name, then first name, in your Word or pdf file name, eg SMITH_ANNA.


Past Recipients


See also the New Horizons for Women Trust website for information about its awards.

Aims of the Women's Studies Association (NZ)/Pae Akoranga Wāhine

The WSA (NZ)/Pae Akoranga Wāhine is a feminist organisation formed to promote radical social change through the medium of women's studies. We believe that a feminist perspective necessarily acknowledges oppression on the grounds of race, sexuality, class and disability as well as gender. We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa. This means that we have a particular responsibility to address their oppression among our work and activities.

The principles of the Association are:

  • To undertake, promote and disseminate research about women by women from a feminist perspective
  • To inform and educate women about women in culturally appropriate ways
  • To encourage the preservation of existing material about women in culturally appropriate ways
  • To facilitate the establishment of women's studies courses with a feminist perspective
  • To undertake and promote the publication of material about women
  • To organise and participate in activities, conferences, seminars and displays in furtherance of the aims of the Association.