Roma Cherry Balzer (born 1954) is a New Zealand family violence prevention advocate. She has worked in family violence prevention for more than forty years. In 2005 Balzer was appointed a Companion of the
Queen’s Service Order for her services to families and the community. In 2019 she was appointed a Companion of the
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant (document), royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of New Zealand, Queen of New Zealand, "for th ...
for services to services to family violence prevention.
Early life and education
Balzer is Māori and affiliates to
Ngāti Ranginui
Ngāti Ranginui is a Māori iwi (tribe) in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Its rohe (tribal area) extends from Waihi in the north, to the Kaimai Range in the west, to south of Te Puke in the south, and to Tauranga in the east. The rohe does not ext ...
,
Ngāi Te Rangi
Ngāi Te Rangi or Ngāiterangi is a Māori iwi, based in Tauranga, New Zealand. Its rohe (tribal area) extends to Mayor Island / Tūhua and Bowentown in the north, to the Kaimai Range in the west, south of Te Puke and to Maketu in the east.
...
, Raukawa and
Te Aroha
Te Aroha is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand with a population of 3,906 people in the 2013 census, an increase of 138 people since 2006. It is northeast of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton and south of Thames, New Zealand, T ...
iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
.
She was born in 1954 in
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
, and attended
Rotorua Girls' High School. Balzer worked at
Tokanui Hospital, teaching disabled children, for two years.
She moved around for several years, and during time spent in
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
joined the Women's Health Collective, and attended evening classes on women in politics. Returning to Rotorua as a solo parent with three children, Balzer began working in paid and volunteer roles in community support.
Balzer was involved in the protests again the
1981 Springbok tour and was arrested at
Bastion Point
Takaparawhau / Bastion Point is a coastal piece of land in Ōrākei, Auckland, New Zealand, overlooking the Waitematā Harbour. The area is significant in New Zealand history as the site of protests in the late 1970s by Māori against forced ...
.
Balzer has worked in family violence prevention for more than forty years.
Balzer joined the steering group of the Rotorua Women's Refuge, and then represented Rotorua on the executive of the National Women's Refuge.
In 1986 she became the first Māori National Co-ordinator of Women Refuges.
Balzer worked with the
Ministry of Social Development to develop a residential programme for children in Hamilton in the youth justice system, and with
Oranga Tamariki to establish a home for children in state care with complex needs.
Balzer founded the Silent Witness Project to identify people killed due to family violence.
Balzer was a trustee for Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa for twenty years, standing down in 2017.
She is on the governance board of Reclaim Another Woman, an organisation that works to support women and end intergenerational offending.
Honours and awards
In the
2005 Queen's Birthday Honours Balzer was appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for her services to families and the community.
In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours she was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to services to family violence prevention.
References
External links
*
Aroha – shelters and protects whānau', Roma Balzer talking about the value of aroha, E Tū Whānau, 17 May 2017
Balzer speaking at the 2018 Te Whakaruruhau Symposium Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga, via Vimeo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balzer, Roma
1954 births
Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Companions of the Queen's Service Order
People from Rotorua
People educated at Rotorua Girls' High School
New Zealand activists
Ngāti Ranginui people
Ngāi Te Rangi people
Living people