WELLINGTON – Children's advocate Cindy Kiro said Monday she hopes to inspire Maori girls after becoming the first Indigenous woman appointed to the role of governor-general.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced she had picked Kiro for the largely ceremonial role as Queen Elizabeth II’s representative, and that the queen had approved.
Under New Zealand's constitutional system, the British monarch remains the nation's head of state although doesn't wield any real day-to-day power.
Kiro’s five-year term begins in October, when she will replace Patsy Reddy. Both women have been been given the honorific “Dame" for their services to the community.