ActionAid Vanuatu is supporting local women to become powerful community leaders, particularly in times of crisis. Local women have the knowledge and the leverage to lead their communities. We’re equipping them with the tools and resources to build their solidarity, sisterhood and strength.
In 2015, when Cyclone Pam swept through Vanuatu, leaving a trail of devastation in its path, communities were unprepared, and the needs and experiences of women – particularly women with disability – were overlooked in the national response to the disaster.
In the aftermath of the disaster, ActionAid supported Ni Vanuatu women on three islands to establish the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) Network.
The WITTT Network has become a local women-led movement that supports diverse women to prepare for disasters, strengthen their understanding of their rights, and engage with provincial and national stakeholders to ensure that their needs are being heard and reflected in decision-making on disaster planning and response. The WITTT Network now reaches over 9,000 women across five islands, including Efate, Erromango, Malekula, Malo and Tanna.
Learn more about the WITTT Network
The Women’s Weather Watch (WWW) was formed in 2015 as an early warning and response system for climate-related disasters. Local women took part in a series of trainings where they learnt to read weather maps and create weather warning messages in less than 160 characters.