Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson to return to work at Waitangi after breast cancer treatment

• Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics after breast cancer treatment.
• Davidson will address the media at Waitangi Treaty Ground on Monday.
• She urged wāhine to get mammograms, highlighting the high breast cancer rates for Māori women.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will make a return to politics eight months after being diagnosed with breast cancer, saying she is alive, well and back.

The MP will return to work at the Waitangi Treaty Ground on Monday where she will address the media.

“I’m delighted to be returning to my Taitokerau whenua, and to stand alongside my fellow wahine co-leader Chlöe and our Green Party colleagues to demonstrate our movement’s core beliefs in upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and in championing the wellbeing of people and planet.

“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to return to my work. And I am grateful, beyond words, for the aroha and support my whānau, my community and so many have graced me with this past year,” she said in a statement.

Davidson revealed her breast cancer diagnosis flanked by Green MPs on July 17 last year, and underwent her first bout of surgery just over two weeks later.

Davidson said the cancer, which was picked up during a routine mammogram the previous month, required her to undergo a partial mastectomy and would lead to her being off work for about four months.

She urged other wāhine to get checked themselves, acknowledging the level of breast cancer was disproportionately high for Māori women.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick posted an image online of herself alongside co-leader Marama Davidson. Photo / Instagram

Today, Davidson said she was overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to return to my work.

“I am grateful, beyond words, for the aroha and support my whānau, my community and so many have graced me with this past year,” she said.

“I believe in community – I believe in our collective strength, and my journey over the past year has made so clear how necessary it is to take care of others, and to be taken care of.

“We know the value of caring for one another. Together, we will create the future our mokopuna deserve.”

The 51-year-old entered Parliament in 2015 as a list MP for the Green Party, and became the party’s co-leader in 2018.

Prior to politics she worked for the Human Rights Commission for 10 years, and was the chief panelist for the Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse.

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