Across cultures and religions, there are various stories of creation and beginnings. In the Marshall Islands, creation began with three sisters: Liwatuonmour, Lidepdepju, and Lijileijet. Traveling on a canoe from the island of Ep/Uap in the west, they arrived on the various islands and bore children to the island chiefs (Iroij), which is how the people of the Marshall Islands came to be. These days, the sisters – goddesses – are said to be in the form of nature. Liwātuonmour (meaning “woman of life-giving land”) and Lidepdepju are the stones living on Namo and Aur atoll, respectively; and Lijileijet (meaning “woman of the sea”) is the sea mist on Namo atoll.
In the Marshall Islands, ancient tales, or bwebwenato, center women as the protagonists, ancestors, and heroes. As one of the few countries with a matrilineal society – land is passed down the maternal rather than the paternal line – women are at the heart of storytelling. As characters they are more than mothers – they are navigators, intellectuals, teachers, and key decision makers whose rich knowledge and resourcefulness have allowed communities to thrive.
This image was taken at an International Women’s day event. © Bianca Vitale / Greenpeace
With an image connected to nuclear legacy, climate change, and the very real threat of further displacement due to rising sea levels, it is women who are at the forefront of the small but sprawling Pacific Island nation. Using resilience, resistance, and persistence they are actively changing the narrative and re-shaping the identity of the Marshall Islands on the global stage.
Here are just some women from the Marshall Islands who have led, inspired, and are never giving up.
Darlene Keju – she who could not remain silent
Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands – its total yield roughly equal to one Hiroshima sized bomb every day for 12 years. Darlene Keju, who was born in 1951 on Ebeye Island, did not know the extent to which her fellow Marshallese had suffered. But as she gained her education in Hawaii and researched and learnt more about the US atomic tests, the terrible truth began to reveal. Keju could not remain silent.
For years, Keju used her voice touring, speaking, educating, and using music, dance and song to express the outrage about her people’s resettlements and evacuations due to radioactive fallout, false promises by the US, and ongoing health problems suffered by the Marshall Islands people. When she traveled to the more far-flung islands in the Marshall Islands chain of atolls, she found women who had suffered miscarriages and birth defects, such as “jellyfish babies” – babies born without bones – due to radiation.
As one of the first prominent activists in the Marshall Islands, her work gained international attention, supporting other nuclear survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and delivered powerful speeches, such as at the World Council of Churches gathering in Vancouver, Canada in 1983.
In 1996 due to breast cancer Darlene sadly passed away, but her legacy lives on. “Don’t Ever Whisper” is a book written by her husband, Giff Johnson, to ensure the injustice suffered by the Marshall Islands and her people, and the truth behind the US government’s actions will never be forgotten.
Hilda Heine – from teacher to President
As the first female President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands from 2016-2020, and again from 2024, President Heine is a strong crusader in gender equality, women empowerment, climate justice and human rights. With a strong background in education – Heine was previously a teacher, school counselor, and Minister of Education – she often draws on her experience to teach others, especially around climate change. To ensure that younger generations are aware and prepared, she integrated climate resilience into national education programs; and under her leadership, the Marshall Islands became the first country to submit new, binding climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement.
Often representing at the UN, she, along with other Pacific Island nations, speak about the climate crisis with urgency and conviction. Addressing the UN General Assembly in 2024, she said:
“Sea levels have risen, and we are too late to prevent them from eating away at our shores. But we must also be clear: we will not be wiped off the map, nor will we go silently to our watery graves.”
Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner- poetry as politics
Political interest runs in the family. However, Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner, the daughter of President Heine, has created her own path by linking political messages with the power of poetry. In 2014, her poem at the Opening Ceremony of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit drew the audience to tears and rapturous applause.
“Dear Matafele Peinem”, addressed to her then seven-month old daughter, spoke about the reality of the world she will grow up in, but also gave hope about the future and what would happen if we act now.
no one’s drowning, baby / no one’s moving / no one’s losing their homeland / no one’s gonna become / a climate change refugee /or should i say / no one else
Apart from poetry and performance, Kathy is also a political negotiator on climate change and activist on intergenerational issues linked to the Marshall Islands’ nuclear legacy; and co-founded the environmental non-profit Jo-Jikum, to empower Marshallese youth to seek solutions surrounding climate change and other environmental impacts.
Ariana Tibon Kilma – carrier of the torch
Ariana never got to meet her maternal grandfather – her great grandfather. But when she found out who he was, she knew she had to carry his legacy forward. Nelson Anjain, from Rongelap – one of the islands most severely impacted by nuclear fallout from the US government’s Castle Bravo test – dedicated his life to building a peaceful world without nuclear weapons, and advocating for compensation and care for nuclear survivors.
Generations later, Ariana is continuing his work and is currently the chairperson of the Republic of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission. As part of her role she ensures that the effects and impacts of the country’s nuclear legacy continues to be taught in schools, not just for the benefit of younger generations but also for better awareness and healthcare. Cancer attributable to fallout-related radiation exposures is still evident, and to this day, there is no oncology clinic available in the Marshall islands.
In a personal testimony to the UN Human Rights Council, Ariana shared her experience as a caregiver for someone ravaged by cancer:
“In this vulnerable state I witnessed firsthand how crucial access to comprehensive health care is, which is something we don’t have back home. As we discuss human rights today, let us remember that the dignity of every individual, especially those in their most vulnerable moments, must be fiercely protected and upheld.”
Abacca Anjain-Maddison – Campaigner for peace
Former Senator and active campaigner against nuclear weapons and weapons testing, Abacca comes from a long line of people who have been directly impacted by nuclear fallout. Her uncle, John Anjain was the mayor of Rongelap during the time of Castle Bravo; and her father, Jeton Anjain, also a former Senator, helped change the course of history after he reached out to Greenpeace to help evacuate the Rongelap community when their atoll was no longer safe for habitation.
Abacca has spoken at many international conferences to raise awareness on the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing; and has led the efforts for the Marshall Islands to receive compensation from the United States due to decades of environmental destruction and health problems due to the tests.
Selina Leem – from a small island, but with big dreams
During the closing remarks at COP21 (the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris), then Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Tony deBrum gave Selina the opportunity to give the final statement on behalf of her country. As the youngest delegate to speak, she held up strands of coconut leaf from her country to share with world leaders and urge them to increase their action on climate change.
A climate change activist and spoken word artist, Selina’s confidence and intellect has seen her speak at high-profile events and deliver TED talks. As she said during her COP21 speech:
“Sometimes when you want to make a change then it is necessary to turn the world upside down, because it is not for the better, it is for the best.”
Zabeena Buksh is the Digital Campaigner with Greenpeace Australia Pacific
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Zabeena Buksh www.greenpeace.org
