The name Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku means an assembly of people with a focus on health pertaining to women. 

Te Kahui o ngā whetū is a common Māori phrase which speaks of the constellation or gathering of stars. This concept was chosen ahead of many other ways of describing a committee because of its relationship in particular to the navigational aspects of stars and the prominence of the southern cross as a defining feature of location for peoples in the pacific and in particular Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Oranga stems from the root word Ora which positions the gathering of people (the committee) in terms of its focus and function, namely, health and well being. 

Ō Nuku is a term which stems from the primary name Papatuanuku meaning Earth Mother and in the context of the name it gives further focus for the committee toward the primordial female element particularly as it relates to obstetrics and gynaecology. 

The image encompasses all three elements of the name Te Kahui Oranga ō Nuku which are clearly visible within the tapa toru (triangle shapes). Te Kahui is represented in the constellation of stars in the blue triangle with particular reference to Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region where we are located. Oranga is within the red triangle, represented by the unfurling koru shapes which grow upwards. A central Manawa line representing Papatuanuku reflects the ō Nuku portion of the name. The upward and forward facing triangle shapes convey advancing and working hard to achieve positive outcomes in women’s health. 

Te Kahui Oranga ō Nuku image was designed by Dave Burke in conjunction with He Hono Wāhine Kaumatua Luke Crawford.