Eight Kiwi companies - including six fashion brands - have joined a New Zealand-led campaign to eliminate child labour.

Winning does and will continue to matter in children's sport so long as you keep score. That's just human nature, writes John Dybvig.

In the last five years 16 complaints have been made to the Human Rights Commission about discrimination against transgender people in New Zealand.

It's one thing to use our own money to bank with the Australians as most of us do, but taxpayer money on social services to foreigners is entering a new realm, writes Mike Hosking.

A transgender shopper claims she was ridiculed by an assistant while trying on shorts at a department store in Auckland. Farmers are investigating the claims.

More New Zealanders will be able to get free doctors' visits as part of a raft of changes which come into force today.

Human Rights Commissioner says: "What happened to Mary isn't new but it highlights the bullying and hate that transgender New Zealanders face all too often."

Bill English's willingness to allow a foreign housing provider to buy NZ state houses veers close to allowing blind ideology to get the better of common sense, says John Armstrong.

The results of a probe into retirement village residents' complaints and disputes with their owners and managers will be revealed next month and could lead to a shake-up.

Readers have been digging deep to help the Middlemore Foundation make sure needy children are warm this winter.

Although the effects of the party drug ecstasy are transient and may not require medical attention, complications of severe toxicity have occurred, says Leo Schep.

Private companies like the prison-operator Serco could be used to deliver social services, with Anne Tolley indicating she's open to the idea.

Families in urgent need of a state house are waiting twice as long compared to 18 months ago, Labour says.

An Australian model has issued a warning to women about a self-proclaimed fashion designer who allegedly groped, harassed and exploited models.

Better sharing of information between state agencies may have prevented the death of a child in a poorly-maintained state house, says Social Development Minister Anne Tolley.

A psychiatrist says the strain of dealing with high rents is a key factor in people's mental problems.

As more people sleep rough in the suburbs, one advocate is suggesting building lockers for their belongings.

Slut-shaming is the act of making a female feel guilty and inferior for behaving in a way others deem to be sexually inappropriate, explains Lee Suckling.

Kiwi pop singer says today’s young women should embrace feminism, a movement sparked by the original hairy-legged bra burners of the 60s and 70s.

The Jammies in June campaign has reached its halfway mark on the calendar and, thanks to you, on the target set.

The idea that there is only one way of being a feminist is sexist, writes Verity Johnson.

As many as one in 10 older people may be victims of financial elder abuse, writes Diana Clement.

Trailblazing legal crusader Dame Silvia Cartwright speaks candidly to David Fisher about longer jail sentences, child poverty and the strain of being Governor-General.

Previous members' bills dealing with such issues have received little support, but Lecretia's case touched a nerve, writes Mai Chen.

The inner-city youth centre is disappearing, a victim of both lead contamination and changing times. Simon Collins reports.

Just over two years ago, Housing Minister Nick Smith announced that "this year" the Government was developing a housing warrant of fitness, writes Brian Rudman.

You'd be surprised just how hard it is to find a family willing to let a Herald writer snoop around their home and ask all sorts of intrusive questions about their substandard living conditions, writes Peter Calder.

Cold, damp housing is a significant issue facing children, with a paediatrician calling for more to be done to change the culture of accepting unfit houses.

Deborah Hill Cone writes: In a chaotic world, bullies tell us what to think, what to do, and what we are doing wrong. This can be comforting if you feel unsure who you are.