Latest from Social Issues

What it's like living on Auckland's streets

WATCH: Why this Auckland couple purposefully abandoned their four-bedroom house in Auckland and took to the streets...and why they prefer this lifestyle.

Aucklanders sleeping rough

Record numbers of people are sleeping rough or in cars as Auckland's desperate housing shortage makes life harder than ever for those at the bottom.

Why I still love the f-word

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.

Sacks of pyjamas pour in for children

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

Verity Johnson: How to be a feminist topless waitress

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

Controversial? I'll be the judge of that

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

Diana Clement: Elderly abuse an NZ epidemic

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

Mai Chen: Lecretia failed, but touched a nerve

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

Why do Kiwi kids go without?

Children are more likely to be in material hardship relative to the rest of the population in New Zealand than in any European country.

Seales family 'shattered' as tributes flow

Lecretia Seales never planned to be the poster girl for the right-to-die campaign in New Zealand.

Aid agency funds to be tightened

Some agencies are expected to close in a radical revamp of social service funding unveiled by Social Development Minister Anne Tolley.

Charity proposes motel for homeless

A charity wants the Government to pay for it to take over an Auckland motel for families who are living in caravan parks or doubling up in overcrowded houses.

Foster duo seek status of parents

Frustrated foster parents have to get permission every time their foster child needs major medical treatment, changes schools or the family move.

Past haunts transgender Kiwi

Despite being officially recognised as a woman in New Zealand, a transgender Kiwi has been told she cannot use her "female name" to register her marriage.

Dita De Boni: Bottom line for mental health services

The most vulnerable are likely to suffer with the introduction of 'social bonds' for the private sector, writes Dita De Boni.

Jarrod Gilbert: Looking beneath surface key to redirecting life of crime

If we are to reduce reoffending, and thereby create fewer victims, crime must often be viewed not as the problem but as a symptom of a problem, writes Jarrod Gilbert.