Leiwia was the first woman to ever join the Chief’s Council in her community in Erromango, Vanuatu. As a community mobiliser for the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) network, she shares her story of women’s leadership, and breaking down barriers for the next generation.
“I joined the Chief’s Council in my village in Erromango in 2020. I was the first-ever female leader to be a member of the village council. They asked me to join when they saw my leadership in the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta network. It is a first of its kind. Now my colleague Esther has now become a Vice Chairlady for South Erromango Area Council. I have forged a pathway for other women.”
“I never dreamed of being part of this Council in my lifetime. Where I come from, women are not allowed to be in the same room with the male community leaders; it’s taboo. Our place is just outside the doorway, not inside the house. Our status as a female is being seen as a carer, mother, and a cook in the kitchen. We are not valued as a contributor in our community.”
“But through the training that ActionAid has provided, the Chiefs and the Council have now come to respect women’s leadership. They know we have the valid information and we are the first responders in our community before any external partners.”
“My hope for the future is to promote the women to be the leaders in the country and in my community.”
Since 2015, ActionAid has been supporting local ni-Vanuatu women to establish the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) network – a grassroots women’s movement advancing women’s rights, safety, and resilience in a country facing increasing climate and disaster impacts. Over the past decade, WITTT has brought together diverse women from the islands of Efate, Erromango, Tanna, Malo, and Malekula to build their collective leadership, strengthen awareness of their human rights, and lead disaster preparedness and response activities – spaces from which women have traditionally been excluded.