The Vanuatu’s Women Centre is basically a domestic abuse shelter. They do great work, with providing legal services and advice, as well as a safe refuge for women and children. (And they deserve their own space! Ahem…) But the controversy yesterday came during the question-and-answer session following their speaker. It was an interesting set-up – in one section of seats, there was a group of men who egged each other on to speak. Scattered throughout the audience in the section facing them were women who I recognised as vocal spokespeople for women’s rights. Is this what it comes down to – that the fight for women’s rights in Vanuatu is in the hands of a few outspoken individuals, while discrimination is entrenched in the society?

Anyway, the first question came from one of the men sitting with the others, who asked where was the equality and why there wasn’t a Vanuatu Men’s Centre or why the VWC couldn’t combine to be a centre for all ni-Vanuatu. Fair enough, if men feel like they are victims of domestic abuse, there should be a place for them to go as well. But their calls of equality were exposed as lies, when a woman responded to the first speaker and said that nowhere in the Bible, did it say that men are the boss of women and the family. One of the men called out “Kiaman!” (liar in Bislama) and another one started reeling off Bible passages which he thought would prove his argument.

The debate seems to rage around the Family Protection Act which has already been enacted so is already in law, as the women activists kept stressing yesterday. And it took a long time to get there… it had been discussed for 10 years, and the President last year even refused to sign it, until the Supreme Court ordered him to do so. It is basically a law against domestic violence… something which seems uncontroversial to me as a “whiteman”. Don’t hit women. Is that so hard? But it seems like it is… some of the accusations flying around yesterday was that women were pushing the bill for financial reasons, because if the husband hits them and is found guilty, the victim will get compensation. Another question that was asked was “What if a man corrects his wife and goes to prison. The children will be without a father. How does this protect the family?”

A good thing about the debate was that it eventually seemed like the men were worn down and had to accept that this law was a reality. However, the women still had to accept concessions. One man said that when a woman wears trousers and her underwear is showing, a man will think that she likes sex and she can’t blame a man for raping her. That is why all women should wear the island dress. Another said that it was the victim’s fault she was raped, as she was walking outside alone at night (the reason for this was the bus couldn’t drive her all the way to her house and dropped her along a “half road”) and therefore, girls should have a curfew. Both times, the female respondent said that yes, we tell the girls not to dress like this, and not to walk alone by themselves at night. But at least, the women I was sitting with, were muttering “it’s about choice” when she said this.

As frustrating as it was to hear all that, it was still fascinating to be part of the dialogue in a country where equal rights is not a foregone conclusions. And it is in situations like this, where I feel that practical action like microfinance and putting money (and eventually power) into the hands of women, is more successful than advocacy.

Sorry, long and rambling yet again. Man, I need an editor.

Anyway, I estimate about 1500 women turned up. Apparently, twice as many women turned up last year, so numbers were down a little for some reason. Some women also apparently camped out overnight at where the parade route was to begin. The parade was definitely the highlight of the day for me, it was early so the energy was really high from everyone.

But we also scored a really important political point during the day. In Vanuatu, every business, regardless of how much they earn, have to pay 5000 vatu for a business license. It’s a real burden for our members when some of them only make a couple of hundred vatu in profit every week. The Ministry of Finance announced during Open Day that VANWODS members don’t have to pay for a licenses. Our Open Day isn’t really a fundraising event – it’s a day for the mamas, which is awesome – when they spend 364 days on their families every year, it’s great that they can have a day for themselves. But it’s also an important political event for us, in that it’s a show of our strength and the support that we receive from the community. In that sense, Open Day 2009 was a big success.

But one of the biggest problems I see in Vanuatu is the lack of innovation and ingenuity. So many microenterprises fail because they say that there are too many copycat businesses. I went to a meeting with the Department of Ni-Vanuatu Business yesterday, and the director suggested that it’s in the Ni-Vanuatu culture to be risk-averse and have a fear of failure. But I’m afraid it could become a problem for us institutionally – we’re lucky that VANWODS has a great managing director at the moment, who is a local ni-Vanuatu but has been educated and employed in the US, Canada and Australia. I think one of the remedies to the lack of creativity is exposure to the outside world and new ideas. The two women VANWODS want to send to Turin have been identified as future leaders of our organisation, and the Boulder Program is reputed to be the best microfinance training program in the world. It’s a coincidence that first prize in the CGAP photo contest is an all-expenses paid trip.

Anyway, this isn’t one of my photos but I found it from last year’s Open Day and I love the colours. Open Day preparations are going well – come along if you’re in Vila on July 17! It kicks off with a parade in the morning, from Moorings to Saralana Stage. The theme for this year’s event is “Ol Mama i Wekap Long Bisnis (Vanuatu Women Waking Up to Business)”.

But pop by if you happen to be in Port Vila – July 17, 2009 at the Saralana Stage, across the road from the Parliament House.

The DVD is available for purchase, for 500VT or about USD $5. Call 7743390 if you are in Vanuatu (+678 7743390 from overseas) or email eshop@vanuatu.com.vu to arrange.

UPDATE 23/6 -- Thanks to Peter for the suggestion -- here’s my incredibly poor translation from Bislama. Text is in all caps.

NATIONAL DAY FOR WOMEN & CELEBRATION OF VANWODS IN MALAMPA PROVINCE

ESHOP VIDEO CREW COVERED THE EVENT FOR A LONG TIME TO GIVE THE STORIES OF ALL MAMAS

All mamas say, we all got spirit of cooperation. If everyone wants to eat, how do we feed everyone? VANWODS cames from Vanuatu, it was set up to help all people achieve solutions.

ONE DAY FOR HOPE

Our centre is proud of our marker, we see this bird flying over the island when we get up in the morning. We look at the marker and we feel glad to see it.

ONE DAY TO BE PROUD

We want to encourage the mamas who are at home to join VANWODS. It is a chance, if you got the chance to join VANWODS. We came to hear the speeches that are taking place here. VANWODS can help each mama with their home.

ONE DAY FOR ENCOURAGEMENT

ONE SPECIAL DAY FOR ALL MAMAS.

STORY OF ALL VANWODS MAMAS IS AN ESHOP PRODUCTION

(Sori tumas bislama blo mi hemi smol we i smol. Sipos mi mekem wan mistake yu talem mi bae mi jenisim!)

But VANWODS pretty much got swept away by the momentum. The mamas all organised themselves into centres and demanded that VANWODS offer our services in Malekula. Over 1000 women gathered at the day of the launch (and I have a friend who’s volunteering in the Maskelyne Islands who said that she helped women fundraise to get to launch site, as they would have to pay for boat trips and truck rides, as well as having to travel for hours to get to the launch site.) They made matching island dresses and giant banners and marched for two kilometres – apparently, it was the first ever parade held on Malekula.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to the launch, but I’ve seen the DVD (will post a clip next) – it was cool to see the women dancing in the streets and finally getting some time that they could spend on themselves. Vanuatu is such a male-dominated country that it’s clear women see VANWODS as an organization which finally gives them access to opportunities.

Although I later learnt that it was tabu (so go through the tour instead!)

But it really is worlds away from the boardrooms in Sydney, with their screens that drop down from the ceiling and surround sound speaker systems (and carpet! Walls! Unnecessary extravagance…) Most centre meetings take place in an empty nakamal (kava bar) which I kinda like. Nakamals are traditionally a male domain – kava used to be drunk only on ceremonial occasions, and then only by the men. It’s still that way out on many of the islands. And I’ve spoken to women in Port Vila who say that kava is a problem for their family – their husbands finish work, go to the nakamal and spend all their money on kava. The mamas have to come to VANWODS for loans to start businesses because they’re the sole provider for their families. They finally have the chance to gather and find solidarity with each other, as men have been doing for centuries. I kinda like that microfinance is even surreptitiously subverting nakamals for the good of women.

Anyway, nakamals are usually just open tin shelters. Jocelyne, the master trainer, usually brings a piece of clothesline so that she peg the butcher’s paper up between two posts. Otherwise, out comes the masking tape. Who needs Powerpoint?

Unfortunately, the photo doesn’t convey how sunny and nice it was to be holding training outside that day, with a little breeze blowing that kept the weather from getting too hot and sticky… would I give it up for a boardroom overlooking the harbour? I don’t know. Ask me again in February 2010.

I’ve spoken to women who use their loans to begin kato (doughnut) businesses. Their days begin at 2am, when they make and bake the katos. At 6am, the men and children wake up, and breakfast needs to be prepared. The women sell katos during the day, but then the kids come home from school and need to be looked after (that is, if they’re not minding pikininis during the day for relatives/friends/neighbours.) Household chores need to be done, dinner needs to be prepared. The men come back at about half past six, and the whole family has dinner together, before it’s off to bed at about half past eight. Then it begins all over again at 2am the next day.