9,000 women band together to tackle climate change and patriarchy in Vanuatu
A grassroots movement of 9,000 ni-Vanuatu women have launched the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta federation today in Port Vila, as the group takes the extraordinary step of evolving into a formal self-governing national network dedicated to supporting women’s leadership in preparing their communities for climate disasters in the face of deeply entrenched gender inequalities.
Women I Tok Tok Tugeta – which translates to “Women Talking Together” – is a locally led women’s collective that was established by ActionAid Australia following category-5 Cyclone Pam in 2015. The network brings women together from rural and coastal communities from five islands – Tanna, Erromango, Efate, Malo and Malekula, to meet regularly to learn about their rights, and develop practical strategies to respond to climate disasters in their communities. The network also has a focus on supporting women with disabilities to lead with the abilities they have.
Flora Vano, Country Manager at ActionAid Vanuatu says: “In Vanuatu, women are not part of decision-making, we’re not given the opportunity to be part of the solution. That means that when a disaster strikes, women get left behind, and their voices are not heard. Through Women I Tok Tok Tugeta, we teach women about their rights and how to speak up. When I first met these women, no one dared to make a comment. Now, you can’t stop these women in a meeting room – they are on fire.
“In Vanuatu we’ve never had women in the Council of Chiefs, where all the decisions are made. Now in one of the communities that we work in, women are part of the council. They were not being respected before, but now they have gained respect from the elders and the community leaders.”
Michelle Higelin, Executive Director of ActionAid Australia says: “Right now we’re seeing the largest setback to gender equality globally, and climate change is a major driver of this. Women and children are 14 times more likely to die in a climate disaster. The work of Women I Tok Tok Tugeta comes at a crucial moment in time, where we desperately need to make gains in women’s empowerment in the face of the climate crisis and growing gender inequality.
“When women lead in disaster response, the whole community is better off. Women drive more inclusive response and ensure the whole needs of the community are met, including children and people with disabilities. When a disaster strikes they make sure everyone is evacuated and no one gets left behind, which is what traditionally happened. The results are astounding – not one person died during the twin cyclones that hit Vanuatu in 2023.”
Vanuatu is one of the countries at most risk of disasters globally. Over the past decade, disasters have impacted more than 80% of the population and increased in intensity and frequency. Vanuatu also faces significant challenges in relation to gender equality and women’s leadership with the second lowest level of women’s parliamentary participation in the world. Only one woman sits in the national parliament, and Vanuatu’s customary decision making is led by male-chiefs.
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For further information please contact Steph Wulf: [email protected]
About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global women’s rights organisation working with women on the frontlines of injustice, so they can empower themselves to transform their communities. We work across 70 countries and represent a global movement of women standing together to claim their human rights and campaign against injustice.