Our Foundation
“Melanesian women and girls are not problems to be solved.”
2 canoes
1 journey
We empower emerging women leaders across Melanesia and the diaspora to transform their communities—advancing education, health, entrepreneurship, and climate action—while honoring the cultural values and traditions that guide them.
We envision a future where every woman, girl, and child in Melanesia lives a healthy, self-determined, and impactful life. This future is built through strong partnerships with community-based organizations, schools, academic institutions, Indigenous knowledge holders, the Melanesian diaspora, and international allies who respect our leadership.
Naviagated by two canoes crossing the same ocean, MWT is built on a decolonized model of community-first leadership. We lead from the ground up, honoring the wisdom that already exists within our vanua.
The Melanesian Community-Led Chapters are the first canoe: rooted in vanua, guided by ancestral wisdom. They hold the rudder. They set the direction.
The International Partnership Hub is the second canoe: travelling alongside, following their lead. It builds bridges, mobilizes resources, and amplifies Melanesian voices globally. It does not steer. It supports.
Our Mission
Our mission is to uplift Pacific Islander women and girls as leaders and changemakers. Through research and innovative programs, we advance education, health, entrepreneurship, and climate resilience. Our goal is to improve quality of life, empowering women and girls to lead confidently and strengthen their communities.
We envision a Pacific where every woman, girl, and child in Melanesia lives a healthy, fulfilling, and impactful life—creating a lasting legacy of strength and progress.
Together, we ensure that Melanesian women and girls shape not only their own futures, but also the future of the next generations, their communities, the wider Pacific, and the world.
One journey. One people.
We are placepersons. In Melanesia, person and place are one: the lands, waters, spirits, and seasons of our ancestral territories are interconnected and are central to our being.
The landscapes, waters, soils, stones, flora, fauna, weather, seasons, and spirits of our ancestral territories are not separate from us; they are us. To distinguish a person from THE environment is impossible. To protect our vanua (land) is to protect ourselves. To honor our cultures is to ensure our survival.
This foundational truth guides our fight for climate justice. Inspired by former MSG Acting Director General Ilan Kiloe’s powerful address to the International Court of Justice on December 2, 2024, we stand with our Melanesian brothers and sisters across Melanesia. Climate change is not just statistics—it is a direct threat to our identity, our lands, and our way of life.
This is the foundation upon which Melanesian Women Today is built. We are an Indigenous-led organization rooted in the Melanesian way, where leadership is collective, wisdom is intergenerational, and community is the center of all things. We work across Melanesia —Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Kanaky (New Caledonia), and Australian South Sea Islander communities, and with the Melanesian Pacific Island diaspora in North America and beyond. We also operate an International Partnership Hub (USA) on Bainbridge Island, Washington, serving the Melanesian Pacific Island diaspora and partnering with schools, institutions, and like-minded organizations.
We Are Placepersons
The Melanesian Women Today Resilience Fund (MWTRF) supports community-led initiatives across Melanesia and the wider Pacific, helping preserve cultural heritage, protect the environment, and strengthen communities in the face of climate change and globalization. As an Indigenous-led fund guided by the Tangmarahi Advisory Council, it places local knowledge and self-determination at the heart of its approach, providing additional resources to help existing projects grow and create lasting change. Discover our approach, explore funding opportunities, and learn how to apply below.
Melanesian Women Today Resilience Fund (MWTRF)
Your contribution strengthens Indigenous‑led work, cultural resilience, and community well‑being across Melanesia. Every gift supports women and girls building confidence, leadership, and long‑term change!