Dame Cindy Kiro has been sworn in as New Zealand’s first female Māori Governor-General.
Kiro, was sworn in at a small ceremony in parliament on Thursday 21st October.
She said she hopes to use the role of governor-general to reach out to marginalised communities. She also acknowledged the difficult of living with COVID-19.
Dame Cindy was born in Whangārei in 1958 and is the eldest of six children. She was the first in her family to graduate from university and has been involved in education and was the pro-vice chancellor at the University of Auckland
Dame Cindy, who is of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu and British descent, became the country’s 22nd governor-general – Queen Elizabeth’s representative in New Zealand.
The governor-general’s role is to carry out constitutional and ceremonial duties on behalf of the Queen, who remains the country’s official head of state.
Dame Cindy takes the place of Dame Patsy Reddy, whose five-year term ended last month.
She is the third Māori governor-general after Sir Paul Reeves and Sir Jerry Mateparae, and the fourth woman to hold the title.
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