Marama Davidson

Both her parents were Māori language campaigners in the 1970s.

During her youth, the family moved a lot; Davidson started school in Wellington, but subsequently lived in Dunedin and Christchurch.

At age nine, her family moved to Whirinaki in the Hokianga, where she spent the rest of her childhood.

She started her degree in Hamilton and finished it in Auckland, from where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.

She also holds a Graduate Diploma in International Diplomacy for Indigenous Studies through Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

Marama Mere-Ana Davidson (née Paratene; born 29 December 1973) is a New Zealand politician who entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2015 as a list-member representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, of which she became the female co-leader in 2018.

Davidson worked for the Human Rights Commission from 2003 to 2012.

She has worked part-time for Breastfeeding New Zealand.

She was a 'Think Tank Member' for the Owen Glenn Inquiry on Child Abuse and Domestic Violence.

She is a founding member of Te Wharepora Hou Māori Women's Collective.

Davidson is an environmentalist and human rights advocate.

In June 2013 she stood for the Greens in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election, where she came fourth with 11.15% of the vote.

At the 2014 election she stood in the electorate.

She was ranked 15th on the Greens party list and entered Parliament in 2015 with the resignation of Russel Norman.

Davidson has called for liberalisation of abortion law, in addition to better sex education, improved access to contraception, and more support for adoption, having had an abortion as a teenager.

During the 2017 general election, Davidson was ranked second in the Green Party's final candidate list in April 2017.

Following the release of the full election results on 7 October, Davidson was reinstated as a list Member of Parliament.

The Green Party won 6.3 percent of the votes and eight seats.

Following the resignation of Metiria Turei as co-leader of the Green Party in 2017, Davidson was poised as a possible contender for the co-leadership.

On 4 February 2018, Davidson officially announced her candidacy for co-leader, and on 8 April won the female co-leadership election, defeating fellow MP Julie Anne Genter who also contested the position.

After summing the co-leadership of the Greens, Marama stated that the Greens' responsibility was to push the Labour-led coalition government in a progressive direction including the abolition of letting fees on rental homes.

On 8 July 2018, Davidson reported that she had received rape and death threats against her and her children on social media after tweeting support for the Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff's decision to ban two Canadian far right speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux from Auckland Council facilities as part of a speaking tour in August 2018.

In response to this, Davidson stated during an anti-racism rally, attended by families with children, that New Zealand needs to reclaim the word "cunt".

In October 2020, the Green Party signed a cooperation agreement to support a Labour-led government.

Davidson became the Minister outside Cabinet for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, as well as holding the Associate Housing portfolio.

Davidson was born in Auckland and is of Ngāti Porou, Te Rarawa, and Ngāpuhi descent.

Her father is the actor Rawiri Paratene.

In 25 March 2020, Davidson became a member of the Epidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considered the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 2020 general election on 17 October, Davidson was re-elected to Parliament on the party list.

Davidson also contested Tāmaki Makaurau, coming third place behind Labour incumbent Peeni Henare and the Māori Party's candidate John Tamihere.

The Greens captured 7.9% of the popular vote (226,754).

Following prolonged negotiations between the Greens and Labour which concluded in a "cooperation" agreement on 31 October 2020, Davidson was designated as the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence and also became Associate Minister of Housing with responsibility for homelessness.

Davidson was challenged in May 2021 by the National and Act parties for attending and speaking at a Mongrel Mob gathering at the Waikato Chapters headquarters in Hamilton.

Davidson attended the gathering with fellow Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere and the Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt.

The gathering discussed human rights, justice and racism and Davidson defended attending and speaking at the gathering saying in a tweet that it was a "fabulous community event for justice".

Davidson also defended attending the gathering saying that it is vital that a range of communities are engaged with and tweeting that gangs were part of the "diverse communities, who have been subject to enduring and systemic racism".

While canvassing at a counterprotest against Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's planned speech in Albert Park in March 2023, Davidson stated during an encounter with Counterspin Media host Hannah Spierer, "I am a prevention violence minister, and I know who causes violence in the world. It is white cis men, that is white cis men who cause violence in the world".

She was later criticised for this remark by ACT Party leader David Seymour, National Party leader Christopher Luxon, and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who called on her to resign from her ministerial portfolio.

The comment was made after she was struck by a passing motorcyclist who was part of a support group of Destiny Church pastor Brian Tamaki.

She didn't require medical attention at the time, and filed a police report at the scene.