Flora Vano is country manager at ActionAid Vanuatu.
We are living at a time when women and girls are experiencing significant rollbacks of their rights across the board, in health, climate action, education, politics; you name it, it’s happening all around us.
As the world’s attention is fixed on the geopolitical issues dominating news headlines, important decisions affecting women’s futures are being made and women are not in the room. Women’s hard-won freedoms through the years are being stripped away either in broad daylight or in the darkness of the night.
But there is hope. A generation of women is organising in resistance. A generation aware that strength lies in numbers and that collective power can bring real, concrete change. This International Women’s Day marks a moment to reflect on the power of collective determination.
When women thrive, so do communities.
In my country, Vanuatu, we face constant climate crises that continue to wreak havoc across the board, affecting livelihoods and women’s participation in critical sectors of society.
Off-grid solar lights up Lawital
Most stories that come out of Vanuatu tend to focus on the adverse impacts of the climate crisis and other socio-economic challenges. It is well documented how tropical cyclones, droughts and earthquakes, among other climate change-induced disasters, have affected our people.
However, amid these crises, a powerful narrative of resilience is being written, led by women.
Over the past year, ActionAid – in partnership with the Australian government, PowerWells and the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) Network – has implemented a women-led, off-grid solar project in Vanuatu’s Lawital village on Tanna Island. The project has transformed the community which previously had no electricity. It has ignited hope.
Every single one of the 115 homes in Lawital is now connected to off-grid solar power, thanks to the women-led project designed to improve safety, livelihoods, education and wellbeing in the community of 800 people.
For those who could not afford kerosene lamps, their children were unable to study or do their homework at night. Once the sunlight vanished, the books were closed and their day was over. It was a similar story for women’s market stalls which had to close at the setting of the sun.
The narrative has changed.
Breaking traditional barriers
The impact of the solar project has been nothing short of transformative, positioning women as the primary leaders of transformation in their communities. By mastering the technical skills needed to install solar systems, the women have fundamentally altered the trajectory of their daily lives.
The introduction of reliable solar-powered light has revolutionised education for the children in this community. Children who once had to rush toward the road to catch the fading daylight for their schoolwork can now study safely and comfortably at home after sunset.
Moreover, the solar project has fostered a more stable social environment. Women are earning additional income and operating their businesses and markets into the night. The streets are safer now too, thanks to better lighting.
In a region like ours, where cyclones are a constant threat and often result in property damage, these women have also been trained to protect their investments.
In the past, a storm meant the destruction of infrastructure across our communities. To safeguard the gains of this project, the women were trained in rapid-response protocols to safely uninstall the solar systems before a storm hits and reinstall them when the skies clear.
The sight of local women climbing ladders, securing mounting brackets, and wiring panels has done more than provide electricity, it has shifted the social fabric of the community.
Women-led change needs sustainable funding
The resilience and tenacity of the women in Lawital are commendable and serve as a clear reminder that with the right tools and support, women-led initiatives are the key to tackling challenges where the women themselves are the most affected.
As we commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s Month, governments and stakeholders must ensure that movements led by women get sustainable funding to mobilise effectively and create lasting change.
The women trained under this project are now an inspiration in their communities and are leading a revolution. This is proof that, with adequate resources and opportunities for women-led interventions, the foundations can be set to achieve the United Nations’ theme of “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls“.
