Date: 29 Nov 2025
This week, twenty-six ni-Vanuatu women leading boards and development organisations were celebrated with the launch of Nation Builders: Volume 3, a publication showcasing women’s leadership and challenging perceptions about who can lead in Vanuatu.
The launch, officiated by Balance of Power (BOP) Executive Director Mereani Rokotuibau, brought together diplomats, government officials, civil society representatives, media partners, and community leaders.
“Women are nation builders. They have been building our homes, villages, churches, and development sectors, often in the invisible spaces where the hardest work is done.”
— Mereani Rokotuibau, BOP Executive Director
She highlighted that many of the women featured not only hold positions of governance and strategic leadership but also manage households, support extended families, uphold cultural responsibilities, and contribute to their communities, making them nation builders multiple times over.
Roslyn Arthur David, Advisor at the United Nations Population Fund, is one of the women featured in the book. She reflected on the significance of documenting these stories:
“It was a very humbling experience to be requested to be part of the book. I used to teach history in my former life, I taught history about other countries, but we didn’t teach about the history of Vanuatu. Our narrative as Ni-Vanuatu, you never really learn it in school, you’re supposed to learn it at home, in your communities. Our histories are oral and expressed through dances. Now that we’re able to document these stories of women who are growing and thriving in their communities, it’s a very beautiful thing because it’s now on ink in a book. It’s such a humbling experience that me and my family get to be part of that.”
Families of featured leaders also shared their excitement. Fremden Yanhambath, Team Leader at the Vanuatu Australia Education Support Program, whose wife Judith I Yanhambath, Program Manager for the Vanuatu Society of People with Disability, is also featured, said:
“Our family is excited about this and we will continue to support Judith. I have three daughters; their mother’s story is an inspiration for them. It gives them inspiration that they can also become leaders in whatever space or path they choose to follow.”
This edition of Nation Builders aligns with Vanuatu’s National Gender Equality Policy on advancing women’s leadership, BOP Vanuatu Country Plan priorities on increasing visibility of women leaders, and Australia’s commitment to inclusive, locally led development. By profiling women in governance roles, the initiative aims to normalise women’s authority, challenge social norms, and inspire young women and girls to pursue leadership roles.
This year’s volume was produced in partnership with the Vanuatu Daily Post, inspired by their Women of the Week feature. Managing Director Gene Wong said:
“We printed Women of the Week every week, celebrating cleaners, CEOs, and every dreamer in between. Those simple stories travelled far further than we imagined, all the way to Balance of Power.”
He emphasised that the women featured are not tokens but leaders shaping policy, vision, and hope.
“By telling these stories, we glue cracks in the glass ceiling and hand the next generation another ladder. If today you see yourselves in these pages, then tomorrow you can see yourself in that boardroom.”
The launch coincides with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which Rokotuibau said was intentional:
“Leadership is not separate from the fight to end violence, it is central to it. Strong, courageous, and principled leadership shapes policies, shifts attitudes, holds institutions accountable, and builds communities where safety, dignity, and equality are non-negotiable.”
Nation Builders is a flagship BOP initiative that uses storytelling, photography, and public exhibitions to recognise women contributing to national development. Previous editions celebrated women in the public service and private sector, earning praise for shifting perceptions about women leaders.
The full copy of Nation Builders: Volume 3 can be accessed on the Balance of Power website here.