Landmark health survey of rainbow Pasifika launches

Monday, 14 February 2022

The health and wellbeing of New Zealand's Pasifika rainbow communities have mostly been overlooked.

A landmark health and wellbeing survey to capture who exactly the rainbow Pasifika community of New Zealand is has launched.

The Manalagi Project, a three-year Health Research Council-funded project, plans to survey thousands of people around Aotearoa who identify as both Pasifika and of the rainbow community – LGBTQI+ and/or MVPFAFF+.

MVPFAFF+ refers to the indigenous island terms for the third genders of the Pacific: Mahu (Hawai’i and Tahiti), Vaka sa lewa lewa (Fiji), Palopa (Papua New Guinea), Fa’afafine (Samoa), Akava’ine (Rarotonga), Fakaleitī (Tonga), and Fakafifine (Niue).

In a virtual launch on February 12, the project researchers celebrated more than a year of preparation and groundwork before releasing the survey into the communities.

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Seuta’afili Dr Patrick Thomsen said the name Manalagi hopes to enhance the mana of Pasifika rainbow communities.

The researchers hope it will help policymakers and health practitioners better serve rainbow Pasifika, who are historically undercounted or not looked for by government researchers or statisticians.

The survey will run from February 21 until August 31. It is open to people 15 and over, with a separate survey for family and allies of rainbow Pasifika people.

Seuta’afili Dr Patrick Thomsen, who is also a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, is the principal investigator of the project.

Associate Professor Dr Jemaima Tiatia, Dr Lara Greaves, Dr Sam Manuela and Phylesha Brown-Acton are associate investigators, along with research assistant Allyssa Verner-Pula.

The Pasifka rainbow communities, who are “multiply marginalised”, are an underserved population when it comes to research. “And what does exist does not make for very good reading,” Thomsen said.

To prepare the Manalagi health and wellbeing survey, researchers spent months travelling the country for 11 community consultations with Pasifika and Rainbow communities, both individuals and organisations who might have a say in the shape and content of the survey. Pictured: a community talanoa in Tokoroa.

“Research tells us that rainbow community members are more likely to experience more compromised health and wellbeing outcomes on a variety of fronts – mental, physical, spiritual – are all lower than non-rainbow.

“For Pacific communities, the picture is not much better. Due to the impact of institutions – that are not built for us and inherently structurally racist systems – that our communities have to navigate, our health and wellbeing outcomes in New Zealand lag far behind Pakeha communities.”

In particular, research on Pasifika rainbow communities is lacking reliable statistics around MVPFAFF+ people, and the lack of cultural nuance around those identities.

“Without any visibility, community leaders felt there was poor resourcing for interventions that might have helped communities on behalf of our communities,” Thomsen said.

“Further, and this continues to be the elephant in the room, there has been lack of understanding and cultural sensitive responses to the religiosity of Pacific rainbow communities.”

Speaking with Stuff about the project, Thomsen said he hopes other Pasifika will venture into higher education and pursue research about their own communities.

“Having the existing data set will give them the opportunity to identify that and hopefully build their own research programme.”

The Manalagi Project will also be immortalised in film, after winning up to $353,695 from New Zealand on Air to make a six-part series for Tagata Pasifika.

Tairawhiti TV and Thomsen began filming earlier this year.

After the survey period is complete, the researchers will engage in talanoa (talk) with individuals about their experiences with the health system in the country.

Minister for Pacific People’s Aupito William Sio joined the launch, and said he is happy to work with the community on “how the Government can better support the dreams and aspirations of our Pacific rainbow sector”.