Marama grew up all over Aotearoa; born in Auckland, she then lived in Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch.

When Marama was nine, her grandfather passed away, and her family then moved to Whirinaki for the first time. Her father had never been to Whirinaki before and was so enthralled by this beautiful homeland that he immediately moved the family back to Whirinaki in Hokianga following the tangi of his father. Whirinaki became home for the rest of Marama’s childhood, until she moved to Hamilton to start university and has since settled in Manurewa, in Auckland.

Marama was born into a family of young, urban Maori activists and brings that with her to Parliament, every day. Being of Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Tahinga descent, Marama is passionate about improving outcomes for the many and not just the few, including for Māori. She always looks to work with community leaders who do the hard work on the ground every day in building community.

Prior to becoming an MP, Marama worked for the Human Rights Commission for 10 years, and she was the Chief Panelist for the Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse. Her involvement in the inquiry placed violence at the forefront of her political radar. In 2020 she was appointed as the country’s first ever  Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence, following on from the work Green MP Jan Logie led as Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Domestic and Sexual Violence issues).

Marama and her husband have six children and two mokopuna. They have lived most of their lives together in Manurewa. Marama has always maintained her efforts on understanding the housing crisis around the whole country. She was also Associate Minister for Housing with responsibility for addressing homelessness from 2020 to 2023 and  her expertise and commitment to create real change for our communities saw a first ever focus specifically on supporting young people experiencing homelessness.

Marama is passionate about all areas of social and environmental injustice, and is committed to using her voice wherever she can to elevate issues. She is inspired by her nana, who passed away when Marama was 15 years old. , as she was a woman who lived a lifetime of challenges. Marama  is grateful to her parents for being staunch role models to do what is right for people and knows that the wellbeing of communities relies on the wellbeing of our natural world.

"I am enthusiastic and excited about making change that honours our connection to each other, and our planet."