The Republic of Vanuatu is one of the few countries in the world without a single woman representative in parliament, but two determined activists are committed to ending that situation, and ensuring that women’s voices are heard by the island nation’s most senior decision-makers.
Anthea Arukola, a political advisor to the Vanuatu Government, plans to become the country’s first member of parliament since 2008. Georgiilla Worwor, a law student and community activist, wants to go even further, and convince voters to elect her as Vanuatu’s first-ever Prime Minister.
As part of an audio series recorded in Vanuatu, focusing on some of the women pioneers fighting for gender equality across society, the UN Office for Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS), brought Ms. Arukola and Ms. Worwor together, to share their dreams and aspirations for women in the country.

Georgiilla Worwor, a law student and community activist from Vanuatu., by OHRLLS/Ginny Stein
Georgilla Worwor: The parliament of the Republic of Vanuatu is our legislative assembly?, but all I see are pictures of men: presidents, prime ministers, MPs…all men.
I’m an indigenous woman of Vanuatu and the work I do here is to build the country that we want, one that respects, values and makes spaces for women for all people. I have a dream and I’m working towards it. I see myself making decisions, leading, and making history by becoming the Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu.
I first met Anthea at the parliament building, during a campaign to elect women to parliament. We marched up to the parliament building and I saw a lady trying to deliver a speech, but her dress was being blown up by the wind. People, mainly men, were laughing so I ran over and held down her dress until she had finished speaking.
Truly belonging

Anthea Arukola, a political advisor to the Vanuatu Government., by OHRLLS/Ginny Stein
Anthea Arukole: Vanuatu has been independent for forty years. I’m going to sound like an old lady, but I was five years old when the first flag was raised, and every single year on the July 30, I shed a tear.
The fortieth anniversary celebrations in 2020 were a realisation of where we’ve come as a nation and prompted discussions on nationhood, of who we are, what we represent, and what we’ve achieved.
Georgilla Worwor: There was a lot of pride in our people, the fact that we are an independent nation, something that not all Melanesian peoples have achieved.
Anthea Arukole: I think it’s also for me, about truly belonging to a place, truly knowing who you are. We are taught in English and French at school, but there is another level of schooling, at home, where we learn our indigenous languages, which also define me. Vanuatu is multicultural, and I am part of a bigger group called Ni-Vanuatu (the people of Vanuatu).
An arena for men
SOURCE: UN NEWS