State No Women in Parliament

Her country's parliament has 52 members. What's unusual is that at the moment, all members are men ʹ making him one of only three in the world to have only male MPs in parliament.

Our issues and priorities are not at all at the highest peak of decision-making in the country,” says Bjornum.

That's why she launched an online platform called Sista in 2016 with the aim of informing women.

Women in Vanuatu who want to get into politics face a host of obstacles to the fact that traditional advice continues to play a big role, especially in rural areas that make up the majority.

The councils are led by men, known as chiefs, who recommend who will run for parliament.

There are men in all parties. They also elect candidates”, says former Parliament President Hilda Linin.

Linda is the first woman in Vanuatu to be elected to parliament in 1987. She was there for 11 years during three different periods. She's one of five women in this position.

She says the lack of women in parliament has a negative impact on decision-making that matters to the country.

It took nine years to pass the Family Protection Law, but it has not yet been implemented properly. ”

Two other states also have no women in parliament, and these are also islands in the Pacific, Minnesota and Papua New Guinea.

But women in Vanuatu are now working to ensure that genders are equal and economic.

We respect the very strict Christian values. Men believe they are head of the house and women are in second place,” says Bjornum.

She says the Parliament speaks a lot against women.

In this country there are men who get everything women earn. According to World Bank data from 2017, more than 60 percent of the population had electricity, and a third of the children had increased problems because of food shortages.

The World Bank says lowering gender inequality is important for the country's future development.

Vanuatu has 275,000 residents and a high degree of violence against women. 98 percent of cases never reach court.

There is a group of older women trying to change the status that women have in this country, establishing the Leleon Vanua Democratic Party.

The party, led by Hilda Lin, is racing for the 2020 elections and is campaigning to give women 50 percent of parliamentary seats.

“We should try to implement a constitution that will allow men and women and people with disabilities to participate,” she says.

The party says they hope to run dozens of women.