The Power of the Oceanic Pacific 

A Region at the Frontlines of Feminist Action

The Oceanic Pacific is not just a place — it’s a force. A history of resistance runs through its lands and waters, carried by generations of First Nations leaders, feminists, and activists who have fought for justice, self-determination, and collective care. Through our Oceanic Pacific Regional hosting model, the Women Deliver 2026 Conference (WD2026) will honor this leadership – and be shaped by it. 

The regional host model for WD2026 is a deliberate effort to center local leadership, regional impact, and foster long-term impact beyond the Conference. It is a model of power-sharing and collective agenda-setting, aligning with feminist civil society, regional institutions, and government leaders to drive change at WD2026 and beyond. 

Understanding the Oceanic Pacific

The term Oceanic Pacific was born out of a collaboration between the Victorian Government, which referred to “Oceania,” and Pacific feminist civil society organizations (CSOs), who asserted the importance of a distinctly “Pacific” identity. This shared terminology emerged in the lead-up to key regional gatherings held in Suva, Fiji (11–12 May 2023), and Narrm (Melbourne), Australia (6–7 June 2023), ahead of the Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda. The term reflects an agreed identity that honors both the diversity and solidarity across our ocean-connected region.

The Oceanic Pacific region encompasses 22 Pacific Island countries and territories, alongside Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Indigenous peoples of Papua, Timor-Leste, and New Caledonia — as well as the original custodians and communities living on unceded and colonized lands — are recognized and welcomed as Indigenous and First Nations peoples within the Oceanic Pacific.

We are a diverse and expansive oceanic continent of island nations, connected by the Pacific Ocean and grounded in deep ancestral, cultural, and historical ties. Together, we uphold a shared commitment to Indigenous sovereignty, gender justice, ecological integrity, climate action, and the pursuit of sustainable and equitable futures for all our peoples. These commitments come to life through the powerful, place-based activism led by communities across the region:

• Polynesia – Women defending language, land, and sovereignty against colonialism and corporate greed
• Melanesia – Feminists leading the fight for environmental justice, peace, and resistance against extractive industries.
• Micronesia – Activists on the frontlines of climate resilience and First Nations rights as rising seas threaten their homes.
• French Polynesia – Advocates reclaiming autonomy and cultural heritage in the face of neocolonial forces.
• Aotearoa & Australia – Māori and First Nations women leading land-back movements, reclaiming governance, and dismantling settler-colonial systems.

Feminist leaders in the Oceanic Pacific offer the world bold solutions, radical resilience, and a vision of justice deeply rooted in First Nations knowledge and community strength.

WD2026: Built by Feminist & First Nations Leadership in the Oceanic Pacific

Our Regional Hosting Model comprises three pillars:

1. Civil Society Leadership: WD2026’s Oceanic Pacific Regional Steering Committee, a diverse, multi-stakeholder coalition of feminists and activists from across the Oceanic Pacific, drives the region’s strategic priorities, programming, and grassroots mobilization. Working alongside them, the First Nations Governance Group provides cultural guidance and authorization, embedding First Nations values and protocols throughout WD2026. Together, they ensure feminist, First Nations, youth, and community voices hold real decision-making power.
2. Partnership with Regional Bodies: Women Deliver collaborates with key regional institutions, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFs), to co-define WD2026’s priority outcomes and co-lead programming. These outcomes will be presented at the 2026 Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting, linking civil society action with intergovernmental commitments.
3. Engagement with Pacific States: Key government champions from across the region, will serve as ambassadors for WD2026 and participate in the Conference. Their engagement ensures political visibility, accountability, and alignment between government and civil society on advancing gender equality.

Members of the Regional Steering Committee:

Chair : Noelene Nabulivou | DIVA for Equality | Fiji 

Antoinette Braybrook AM | Djirra | Kuku Yalanji woman, Australia 

Arabella Douglas | Currie Country | Australia  

Doris Tulifau | Brown Girls Woke | Samoa  

Eroni Ledua Dina (Rhonda) | ILGA Oceania | PIDSOGIESC, Vakasalewalewa | Fiji  

Francyne Wase-Jacklick | Ministry of Health & Human Services | Marshall Islands  

Gemma Porter | International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA) | Australia 

Graeson Papuni-McLellan | Māori Women’s Welfare League | Aotearoa (New Zealand)  

Joslyn Eades-Tass | Dream a Dream Foundation | Noongar Nation  

Julie Kun | Women with Disabilities Victoria | Australia 

Lanieta Tuimabu | Pacific Disability Forum | Fiji 

Leentje Be’Soer | Voice for Change | Papua New Guinea 

Madelsar Ngiraingas | Palau  

Mele Wendt | PACIFICA | Aotearoa (New Zealand) 

Michelle Reddy | Pacific Feminist Fund | Fiji  

Nalini Singh | Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) | Fiji  

Nauna Lydia Qetoquana Revo | Women’s Rights Action Movement – WRAM | Solomon Islands

Nonmoira Doriane Alexandrine Pucêmwê | Union of Francophone Women of Oceania (UFFO) | Kanaky  New Caledonia 

’Ofa Ki Levuka Louise Guttenbeil-Likiliki | Women and Children Crisis Centre – WCCC | Tonga

Dirk Platzen I Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade I Australia

This is Our Time.

WD2026 is our opportunity to take up space, dismantle oppressive systems, and build feminist futures rooted in joy, solidarity, and radical hope.