Hako Womens Collective – Bouganville
Bougainville, an autonomous region within Papua New Guinea, has low literacy rates and some of the highest rates of violence against women globally. In a region deeply scarred by a decade of civil war, the efforts of Hako Women’s Collective (Hako) have played a pivotal role in promoting peaceful reconciliations within families and communities. While entrenched gender norms persist, Hako’s steadfast commitment to change is bearing fruit. Despite initial resistance from some husbands, more women have been able to participate in activities. Moreover, the Collective has progressively engaged men through initiatives such as youth training, parenting programs, and the cocoa farming project.
The indigo foundation is a small, innovative and independent community development organisation based in Australia. Indigo partners with local community partners around the world to empower women and girls, improve education and health outcomes and defend human rights. Indigo first partnered with Hako four years ago. Since then, the women’s efforts have been recognised by agencies such as United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Australian Government, who have provided funding to deliver training in conflict resolution, gender-based violence, sorcery and related violence.
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