Wonder Woman of the Week: Matire Harwood

Indigenous communities worldwide face nutritional deficiencies due to centuries of Euro-centric medicine ignoring the unique needs of diverse communities across the globe. Thankfully, a handful of indigenous health experts have stepped up to represent the unique needs of their local communities on national and international platforms. This week's Wonder Woman is one of those experts. Matire Harwood was born in 1970 in New Zealand to a Maori family, but spent most of her childhood in Australia after her family moved. There, she was one of the first four girls to take a physics class. After school, Harwood returned to New Zealand for medical school and became the first person in her family to attend college.

Matire Harwood conducted PhD research on treatment guidelines for stroke victims in Maori and Pacific Islander communities, revolutionizing future treatment programs for the two communities throughout the country. Harwood would go on to become a guiding voice in community healthcare across New Zealand- especially among Maori communities where she used her voice to elevate the healthcare needs of Maori New Zealanders to federal agencies. Doctor Harwood has since become a comforting voice to Maori communities as a healthcare expert capable of bridging medical communication between local communities and New Zealand's national agencies- including her work as a healthcare representative for Maori communities during the Covid-19 Pandemic.