Valery Wichman is an

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

activist from the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

. She is the former president of the

Te Tiare Association The Te Tiare Association (TTA) is the LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation in the Cook Islands. It works to celebrate the country's 'akava'ine, akatututane and LGBT communities. Background The Te Tiare Association Inc. (TTA) was formally incorporated ...

, the first association for LGBTQI++ in the Cook Islands, and has been involved with the group since its inception in 2008.

Early life and education

Wichman grew up in

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

. She began attending the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

in 2007.

Career

In 2016 Wichman was admitted to the High Court in New Zealand as a barrister and solicitor. Wichman works as a

solicitor A solicitor is a legal practitioner who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally-defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and ...

and

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

for the Cook Islands' government, and has worked in the role of Director of Central Policy and Planning.

Activism

Through the Te Tiare Association, Wichman has worked since 2019 to petition the government to repeal the country's laws which criminalises homosexuality.

Honours and recognition

In 2016, Wichman was given a Queen's Young Leaders Award for her work in advancing LGBT rights. Wichman was chosen for the University of Auckland's 2021 40 Under 40 list. In February 2024 she was awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, becoming the first Pacific person to receive the award.

Personal life

Wichman is a

trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wichman, Valery Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Cook Island activists Cook Island lawyers Cook Island women in politics LGBT in the Cook Islands LGBT rights activists New Zealand transgender women New Zealand LGBT lawyers People from Rarotonga Transgender women University of Auckland alumni 21st-century New Zealand LGBT people