OUR VALUES
Our work is grounded in Indigenous leadership, collective responsibility, and cultural continuity. We recognize women and girls as protectors of culture, family, and community—and as key agents of sustainable development.
Strong Mind. Strong Health. Strong Voice.
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1. Advancing Gender Equality and Leadership
Recognizing women and girls as key agents of change in their communities.2. Strengthening Community Resilience and Self-Reliance Supporting women and girls to mobilize households and communities toward inclusive and sustainable development.
3. Promoting Inclusive Partnerships and Participatory Governance Enabling women and girls to engage meaningfully with local governments, traditional leadership, and community institutions.
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Women and girls are vital contributors and powerful agents of change in society. Real change occurs only when all genders are included, working together to create an inspiring environment for everyone. Although they are not always recognized, women’s contributions have transformed the world in countless ways and continue to do so.
At Melanesian Women Today, we value women’s roles and potential as leaders and agents of change within their communities and environments. We believe that women’s participation in a society's transition from preliterate to literate, from relatively autonomous communities to members of a nation contributing to the global economy, and in achieving equality, is essential for building inclusive, open, and prosperous societies that generate lasting change. As a result, families that adapt to new conditions or shifts in the economic and political landscape tend to succeed best. Women are the primary caregivers for children and the environment; they play a crucial role in fostering or impeding change within families and society as a whole.
WHAT ABOUT MEN?
We believe that engaging men as agents of change is essential to advancing gender equality. Achieving gender equality requires men and boys to work alongside women and girls to change the dynamics that hinder progress. The idea of involving men and boys in gender equality efforts is rooted in the belief that it is about transforming unequal power relationships between men and women. This involves challenging the status quo—traditional notions of masculinity and perceptions of manhood—and encouraging men to take responsibility for change by questioning power dynamics related to their actions and words at personal, interpersonal, and societal levels.
Melanesian Women Today supports and promotes working with men as advocates for gender equality—encouraging them to speak out as active agents for change and stakeholders who can influence social norms, behaviors, and stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination and inequality.
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Decolonizing Well-Being: A Relational Approach
At Melanesian Women Today, well-being is understood as the vitality of all relations—connecting women, families, communities, land, water, spirit, and sentient beings. True empowerment arises when these relationships are honored, nurtured, and sustained.
Guided by the Vanuatu Development Framework, MWT employs well-being indicators grounded in Melanesian ways of being. These reflect the cyclical, relational, and place-persons worldview, encompassing education, health (including mental health), economic participation, cultural knowledge, environmental stewardship, and respect for all sentient beings.
Our approach decolonizes well-being by centering Indigenous knowledge, traditional governance, and communal responsibility. Progress is measured relationally: how women and girls walk confidently in their communities, how families and culture are strengthened, and how the well-being of land, waters, and sentient beings is upheld.
These indicators guide programs that are culturally anchored, responsive to lived realities, and designed to strengthen women’s agency while honoring the wider web of life that sustains communities and the more-than-human world.
Learn more about our relational well-being indicators and how they are applied across Melanesia.
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Support for Community Programs
Melanesian Women Today (MWT) supports community programs, organizations, and social groups that are growing but may not yet have the structure to operate independently as nonprofits, or who prefer to remain community collectives while keeping full ownership of their work.
Through the MWT nonprofit umbrella, programs can operate under our legal and financial structure while maintaining their own identity, leadership, and decision-making. This allows community initiatives to access opportunities made possible by nonprofit status, such as fundraising and grants, financial management, legal and reporting support, and capacity building, without the burden of creating and managing their own nonprofit organization.
Programs remain fully owned and led by their communities.
MWT does not take control. We do not direct. We walk alongside.All work is grounded in Melanesian ways of being—the kastom and kalja (custom and culture) of their Island nation in Melanesia; so that initiatives remain culturally rooted, community-driven, and responsive to local realities. Our purpose is long-term impact that stays where it belongs: with the community.
What the MWT Umbrella Provides
Under the MWT umbrella, programs can access:
Fundraising and grant eligibility through MWT's nonprofit status
Banking, financial management, and accounting
Legal, reporting, and compliance support
Project guidance and organizational development
Training and professional learning opportunities
Connection to the wider Melanesian Women Today network
One-on-one mentoring
What Programs Keep
Programs always retain:
Community ownership
Cultural authority and knowledge
Leadership and decision-making
Program identity and vision
Control over activities and direction
How to Join MWT
Program Information
Share your program’s purpose, activities, and how long it has been active.Membership
At least 10 active members.Leadership
A small committee and chairperson or coordinator.Mission and Goals
A short description of what your program aims to do.Partnership Agreement
An MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that confirms how MWT supports your work while respecting your autonomy.Join the MWT Network
Become part of a growing network of Melanesian-led initiatives working under a shared umbrella, accessing resources, strengthening capacity, and creating meaningful change while staying rooted in community leadership and identity.
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Our Program Partnership Policies
ALL PROGRAMS UNDER MELANESIAN WOMEN TODAY MUST ADHERE TO THE EIGHT CORE PRINCIPLES:
AGENT OF CHANGE:
MWT supports the right of women, girls/youth in Melanesia and recognizes their efforts to become key agents of change and opportunities of being stewards of resources in their own respective communities and country.
SOLIDARITY:
We practice solidarity with the women and girls in Melanesia by ensuring access to anatomy and assisting with their right to self-determination based on their needs, priorities, and visions for the future.
RECIPROCITY:
We adhere to the Melanesian value of reciprocity, which holds that everything and everyone are interconnected, interdependent, and interrelated. We believe that identity comes from connections, therefore emphasizing “WE” and “US” rather than “I” and “me”. “YUMI” - Vanuatu Bislama word for You and I " means “WE.”
Our work with the women and girls is strongly rooted in the Melanesian value of reciprocity. Thus, building relationships is important to MWT and is the foundation of our work, governed by an understanding of mutual respect; honest exchange, recognition of different roles, and the shared responsibility of strengths and benefits.
SELF-DETERMINATION:
MWT values the rights of women and girls to self-determination as well as their right to determine their livelihood from a political, social, cultural, and economic standpoint.
Self-determination in our work in Melanesia is valued by working with the women and girl youth to determine their own economic, social, and cultural development as agents of change and leaders in their communities. We provide a platform for them to exercise their rights and allow them to have full autonomy over their programs, and provide resources to help them be successful.
INCLUSIVENESS:
We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in our nonprofit’s operations, as well as model our three core values as we advance our mission. We believe that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work is a way to intentionally make room for positive outcomes to thrive, whether in the nonprofit capacity building or public policy spheres.
We adopt practices that promote inclusiveness, diversity, and equity for all, and by being transparent in our internal dialogue and encouraging our staff and board members to reflect, listen to each other, and learn from each other’s experiences.
NETWORKS, COLLABORATION, AND ALLIANCES:
At MWT, we believe in the power of strategic alliances; we advocate for healthy and effective inter-cultural collaborations, and encourage meaningful networks between the women, youth, island nations, other NGOs, and affiliated individuals and groups to be a force for change in enabling the women and girls of Melanesia to lead a productive, healthy, and fulfilling life in these three areas:
Empower Women and Girls as Key Change Agents.
Empower Women and Girls as Key agents to activate and mobilize individuals in their communities to build self reliance.
Empower women and girls as key agents to engage and forge effective partnerships with their local government and community leaders.
We do networking, collaboration, and alliances in our work by taking on the responsibility of being a grant-driven organization. We host networks and spaces that embody cross-cultural, supportive connections between Melanesian women, youth, and their potential allies.
TRUST:
We work to build positive, respectful relationships with the women and girls in Melanesia and their local communities, as well as allies, by investing in processes that foster lifetime relationships.
Trust in our work is exhibited by entrusting the women and youth as the key agents of change in having full autonomy of the programs that are under the organization.
TRANSPARENCY:
We commit to being transparent about our values and programs by promising accountability and demonstrating excellence in our actions.
Transparency in our work is practiced through self evaluation, continuous learning, and being strategic in our planning and collaboration on a regular basis while sharing our outcomes.
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Volunteering Policy
Volunteer with Melanesian Women Today
At MWT, volunteers are at the heart of our mission to empower women and girls across Melanesia. Whether you are giving your time freely or contributing through a stipend, your skills and commitment help create lasting change.
Who Can Volunteer?
Unpaid Volunteers: Offer your time and skills freely.
Paid Volunteers: Receive a stipend or honorarium for specialized or longer-term support.
Why Volunteers Matter
Volunteers support programs that:
Strengthen women and girls as change agents in their communities.
Build relationships and promote sustainable development through Indigenous approaches.
Amplify women’s voices locally, regionally, and internationally.
Core Principles
All volunteers are expected to uphold MWT values:
Agents of Change: Support women and girls as leaders.
Solidarity: Respect and honor Melanesian self-determination.
Reciprocity: Foster mutual respect and shared responsibility.
Inclusiveness: Celebrate diversity and collaboration.
Self-Determination: Support women and girls in defining their own futures.
Volunteer Expectations
Professional Conduct: Respect all staff, volunteers, and community members.
Cultural Sensitivity: Honor local traditions and Indigenous knowledge.
Confidentiality: Protect private information about communities and participants.
Integrity: Be honest and transparent in all work.
Responsibilities
Commit to your agreed time and communicate if unavailable.
Follow MWT policies, including health and safety guidelines.
Engage in learning opportunities to better support programs.
Contribute actively to MWT’s mission.
Volunteer Rights
Work in a safe, respectful, and supportive environment.
Receive clear guidance and training for your role.
Access opportunities for skill development and growth.
Health & Safety
Volunteers are briefed on safety protocols, particularly for fieldwork or remote locations, and must follow all instructions and report concerns promptly.
Recognition
Unpaid Volunteers: Acknowledged with thank-you notes, certificates, and public recognition.
Paid Volunteers: Recognized fairly for their specialized contributions.
Resolving Issues
Raise concerns with your supervisor or Volunteer Coordinator.
If unresolved, follow MWT’s formal grievance procedure.
Ending Volunteer Engagement
Volunteers may step down at any time with advance notice.
MWT may end volunteer involvement if responsibilities or policies are not met.
Commitment to Inclusivity
MWT welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds and experiences. All volunteers are expected to respect our values of equity, unity, and mutual respect.
Join Us
Empowered women and girls are the foundation of a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Melanesia. Volunteers play a vital role in making this vision a reality.For more information, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator.
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