A former Gisborne Girls High School student, Ms Parata went to the University of Waikato where she finished with an MA in Maori and New Zealand History.
Before entering Parliament in 2008 she held positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Prime Minister's Advisory Group, Ministry for the Environment, Housing Corporation of New Zealand, Te Puni Kokiri and the State Services Commission and the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, DC.
She turned heads last month with a strong performance in the Mana by-election. Kris Faafoi held the Labour-stronghold seat, but Ms Parata came a close second with 9574 votes to his 10,980.
Ms Parata, 52, takes over from Pansy Wong, who resigned over allegations she used taxpayer-funded travel for her husband's business.
Ms Parata said she believed the Mana result was likely to be among Prime Minister John Key's considerations for promoting her.
"All of us come to Parliament with the view that we would like to get into the ministry, it has been relatively quick and I am absolutely humbled by the opportunity, and delighted to accept it," she said today.
"I came to Parliament with a whole lot of life experience in business and public policy. I've spent two years here on a range of select committees, and I think the campaign we ran in Mana and the result we got there, they're all in the mix I think."
Ms Parata rejected the suggestion she was promoted to put another female face around the table.
"I think that the Prime Minister has focussed on who he thinks best fits the requirements, he's clearly decided that that is me," she said.
"I come with a mix of personality traits, competencies and experience and I think it's not one thing or the other, it's the fit that's required at the time.
Ms Parata becomes Ethnic Affair's and Women's Affairs Minister. She also picks up associate minister roles for ACC, energy and resources and for the community and voluntary sector.
She said she was eager to begin work on the new portfolios, and said she felt well-equipped to take them on having had experience in a wide variety of areas in Parliament.
"The range of issues that I have had to get to grips with - the Emissions Trading Scheme select committee, Justice and Electoral, the Electoral Legislation Special committee, the Social Services committee, the Maori Affairs committee."
The National Party line on the Women's Affairs Ministry was last month called into question when Acting Women's Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu was asked about a comment she allegedly made in 2003, saying the ministry was a "historic, sexist relic" and should have been scrapped.
However, Ms Parata said she recognised the importance of the ministry.
"There have been quite a number of struggles that New Zealand women have engaged in over many years to get issues and concerns at the forefront, and I think there's always going to be a debate about which of those issues are important," she said.
"But I think there are a whole range of women's issues that are important, the ministry carries out a very important role in researching those and offering policy advice on them, and when I get my feet under the desk of the Minister of Women's Affairs I'll be very happy to discuss those in detail."
