Motarilavoa Hilda Lini, 'a trailblazer' for Vanuatu women in politics, has died
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini passed away at the Port Vila General Hospital on Sunday.
Photo:
Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change / RNZ Pacific
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini,
a pioneering Ni-Vanuatu politician
, has died.
Lini passed away at the Port Vila General Hospital on Sunday.
Lini was the first woman to be elected to parliament in 1987 as a member of the National United Party.
She went on to become the country's first female minister in 1991 after being appointed as the Minister for Health and Rural Water Supplies. She held several ministerial portfolios between 1991-1993, serving three terms in parliament.
She is the sister of the late Father Walter Lini, who is regarded as the country's founding father.
She was a chief of the Turaga nation of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu.
"On behalf of the Government, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Lini family for the passing of late Motarilavoa Hilda Lini - one of the first to break through our male-dominated parliament during those hey days," the Vanuatu Ministry for the Prime Minister said in a
statement
on Monday.
"She later championed many causes, including a Nuclear Free Pacific. Rest in Peace soldier, for you have fought a great fight
In a
condolence message
posted on Facebook, Vanuatu's Speaker Stephen Dorrick Felix Ma Au Malfes said Lini was "a trailblazer who paved the way for women in leadership and politics in Vanuatu".
"Her courage, dedication, and vision inspired many and have left an indelible mark on the history of our nation.
"As Vanuatu continues to grow and celebrate its independence, her story and contributions will forever be remembered and honored. She has left behind a legacy filled with wisdom, strength, and cherished memories that we will carry with us always.
A Vanuatu human rights women's rights advocate Anne Pakoa said Lini was a "Pacific hero".
"She was a woman of integrity, a prestigious, wise and yet very humble woman leader," Pakoa
wrote
in a Facebook post.
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini will be buried in North Pentecost on Tuesday.
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