Milikini Failautusi (born 2 February 1990) is an activist from
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
in the areas of youth,
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
, gender,
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
,
indigenous rights, and sexual reproductive health and rights.
Failautusi is the coordinator of the Tuvalu National Youth Council and a member of the Pacific Youth Council,
Pacific Climate Warriors and the Pacific Young Women Leadership Alliance.
She represented Tuvalu at the
meeting in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
in 2014.
In 2014 Failautusi said that cultural issues are preventing
women of Tuvalu
Women in Tuvalu continue to maintain a traditional Polynesia#Culture, Polynesian culture within a predominantly Christian society. Tuvaluan cultural identity is sustained through an individual's connection to their home island. In the traditio ...
from working in equal partnership with men. For example, women cannot be appointed as an
aliki (chief). She is quoted as saying "
en it comes to cultures, women they don't
etto say anything at all. They don't have a say. They only have to sit at the back and support the elders or their husbands or the leaders in their families . . . All they have to do is just support them in terms of looking for money, looking for food, and looking after the babies and the families".
She actively works for equal participation of women in government and leadership, equal wages for women, and calling for a stop to domestic and gender based violence.
Mikilini Failautusi had to leave her atoll for the main island Funafuti due to rising tides.
References
Living people
1990 births
Tuvaluan activists
Tuvaluan women
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