Now, 31 years after Hart began advocating for women and victims of family violence, she has been appointed an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the New Year 2026 Honours List, recognising her decades of service supporting women and victims of family violence.
Hart began volunteering with Hastings Women’s Refuge in 1994 as a young mother looking to fill her days. She soon became a staff member, then manager, and later a leader behind a unified family violence service across Hawke’s Bay.
In 2017 she created Triple S (Safe, Secure, Short-term), an initiative that provides transitional housing for homeless women and their children in the Bay.
Hart continues to volunteer on the trust’s 24/7 crisis line and says advocacy remains at the heart of her work.
She also has conducted personal research on the impacts of colonisation on tangata whenua, and the impacts on migrant communities within New Zealand, contributing to the education and training of staff and wider community stakeholders.
“Doing this work and advocating against racism, sexism, and for victims of family violence has cost me friends over time ... I no longer get invited to some tables because of my refusal to be silent,” Hart said.
“I use my voice for those who have no voice, and I do that unapologetically. That’s part of my passion.”
She says Hawke’s Bay still has work to do.
“Social media makes it easy for people to hide behind the keyboard.
“My biggest wish is that rather than teaching our daughters how to be safe, we teach our sons how to be kind, respectful and non-violent.”
