Two Pacific women in this years BBC 100 inspiring and influential women list
The BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2021 and two of our Pacific Islands women are included - Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, the first female Prime Minister of Samoa and Monica Paulus, campaigner against sorcery violence in Papua New Guinea.
This year's '100 Women' highlights those who are hitting "reset" - women playing their part to reinvent our society, our culture and our world.
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From the BBC write up -
Fiame Naomi Mat'afa
Place of birth: Samoa
Prime minister of the Independent State of Samoa
The first female prime minister of Samoa and leader of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (Fast) party. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa entered politics at the age of 27 and has also served as deputy prime minister, minister of women, community and social development and minister of justice.
She is also a high chiefess and an inspiration to Samoan women aspiring to political office.
Her agenda has a strong environmental focus: to fight against the climate emergency in one of the regions of the world most vulnerable to global warming.
"Where there is unity, there is hope for our future generations" - Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa
Read more about Fiame's "Gals" - a network of women friends who supported her every step of the way - here
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Monica Paulus
Campaigner against sorcery violence
To help victims of sorcery accusation-related violence, human-rights activist Monica Paulus co-founded the Highlands Women Human Rights Defenders Network. The organisation provides shelter and legal advice to women accused of witchcraft and reports their cases to the UN and other international organisations.
Their efforts have led the Papuan government to set up sorcery-related violence committees.
In 2015, Paulus was one of the UN's Women of Achievement and received a Pride of Papua New Guinea Award for Women for her courage. Amnesty International Australia described her as one of the bravest women in the world.
"We need to reset and remember we are all part of the human race, and gender should never hold us back or be held against us." - Monica Paulus
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Women from Afghanistan make up half of this year's list, some of whom appear under pseudonyms and without photos for their own safety. The resurgence of the Taliban in August 2021 has changed the lives of millions of Afghans - with girls banned from receiving secondary education, the ministry for women's affairs being disbanded, and women in many cases told not to return to work. This year's list recognises the scope of their bravery and their achievements as they are forced to reset their lives.
Check out the full BBC 100 Women 2021 here