Our Team

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Our Team

Executive Director, Management Collective and Staff

We are radical feminist activists, rare around the world but especially in the Pacific. We are formally constituted by an intersectionality diverse, intergenerational collective, staff and network of diverse women including lesbians, gender non-conforming women and trans masculine people to advance gender, human rights, social, economic, ecological and climate justice everywhere.

Noelene Nabulivou - Executive Director

Summary Bio:

Noelene is a longtime feminist community organiser, analyst, educator and activist working for socio-economic, ecological and climate justice and universal human rights in urban informal settlements, rural and maritime Fiji, the Pacific and globally for over 35 years. Guided by autonomous feminist movements Noelene works with communities, civil society, Governments, development sector and the UN to advance bold heterodox strategies on urgent, complex questions of human rights and development justice. She is the executive director of Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality and holds many social movement roles. In 2020 Noelene was the recipient of the International Women’s Health Coalition's Joan B. Dunlop award for advocacy.

What brings Noelene pleasure:

“My family - biological and created. My feminist friends. My work. Love. Justice. Balance.”

Noelene Nabulivou

Executive Director

Viva Tatawaqa - Management Collect/ Political Coordinator

Summary Bio:

Viva Tatawaqa is a longtime grassroots feminist mobiliser and organizer in Fiji and the Pacific. From her organizing beginnings at DIVA for Equality in Fiji, she is also now a member of RESURJ, a global alliance of feminists under 40 years of age, working for Sexual and Reproductive Justice, and part of many initiatives from local to global. Viva works on many initiatives at local, national, regional, and global levels on issues of universal human rights, social, economic, ecological, and climate justice. Viva is also the founder with other local LGBTI activists, of an innovative peer-based support group on SRHR, mental health, and wellbeing, and a key activist in the Pacific Feminist SRHR Coalition. She works on climate with multiple youth-led and women-led autonomous organising groups across Pacific small island states including the youth-led Pacific Urgent Action Hub for Climate Justice carrying community-led analysis, advocacy campaigns and movement building work, She is also a representative of CSO frontline responders working in the Fiji National EVAW Protocol. As part of her, work Viva is engaged in the Qaqa Grassroots Feminist Group, CSW Pacific young women’s group, Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights, and spends much of her time in urban poor, rural and remote organising in Fiji, as well as following key global intergovernmental processes including HLPF, COP, CSW, and others. Addressing injustices and discrimination of all kinds is Viva’s challenge and joy, and being part of feminist organizing is an empowering experience in her life and work.

What brings Viva pleasure:

“A good 8 hours of sleep and my kids being around me.”

Viva Tatawaqa

Management Collect/ Political Coordinator

Vika Kalokalo - Management Collective/ Mobiliser and Organiser focal point

Summary Bio:

Vika N Kalokalo or Kado, LBT, iTaukei young feminist, Indigenous and women human rights defender, is also one of the Management Collective members of Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality. A Diploma Graduate in Electronics Engineering and an APTC Certificate 2 Graduate in Construction with other 20 diverse women, Vika is a feminist builder with a group of 19 other diverse women who are members of the DIVA Fiji Women Builders PSG - doing climate justice and DRR through their building work. Vika believes in working together to prevent violence against women and girls, all women accessing the sevices they need and inclusive of LGBTIQ community in training and development, protecting our biodiversity as Indigenous people, and decision making at all levels.

What brings Vika pleasure:

“Being around my loved ones, my family, my partner and my rainbow family. Doing something positive and being grateful for every opportunity that we come across makes us move forward and better ourselves.”

Vika Kalokalo

Management Collective/ Mobiliser and Organiser focal point

Timaima Tamoi - Management Collective/ Operation and Finance focal point

Summary Bio:

Tima Tamoi is a Management Collective member of DIVA for Equality. She is a young Indigenous grassroots activist, feminist and women human right’s defender, who works closely with grassroots young women’s and women in all their diversity. Tima’s interest is in challenging and transforming the power structure of women in sports in Fiji. She works from praxis-based experience on human rights, social justice and SOGIESC.

What brings Tima pleasure:

“My Family, Sports (Rugby/Volleyball), My work and having ‘me time’ in my safe space.”

Timaima Tamoi

Management Collective/ Operation and Finance focal point

Frances Tawake - Ecological Center Development and M&E Officer

Summary Bio:

Frances Tawake is an Indigenous feminist and a women’s human rights activitist who loves to work with under-privileged women. Frances joined the women’s movement more than a decade ago and has participated in various feminist spaces locally and regionally. She strongly believes that everyone should be treated equally regardless of our gender, status, ethnicity and sex characteristics and it is equally important to challenge the systemic inequalities women face on a daily basis.

What brings Frances pleasure:

“A cool breeze on a hot day. Hearing the right song at the right moment. Watching my kids giggle. The sunset. The feeling of accomplishment after finishing good work and bringing a smile to someone's face.”

Frances Tawake

Ecological Center Development and M&E Officer

Penina Tuisoya - WAIponics Fiji/ DIVA Administration Officer

Summary Bio:

Penina studied at the University of the South Pacific in 2008 and pursued a Diploma in Pacific Vernacular Language ( I – taukei) but couldn't complete the course due to lack of financial means. She completed a Diploma in Industrial Systems Engineering at the Training Productivity Authority of Fiji in 2010 and a Certificate III in Commercial Agriculture specialising in Aquaponics from the College of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry in 2016. Penina’s passion lies in operating aquaponics farming systems. She loves farming and believes that aquaponics farming is the solution to poverty, hunger, and even sickness.

What brings Penina pleasure:

“My family and ensuring that my body, mind and soul are in a good state, everyday. “

Penina Tuisoya

WAIponics Fiji/ DIVA Administration Officer

Tamani Rarama - PacFemCOP Project Officer

Summary Bio:

Tamani Rarama is a young gender non-conforming i-Taukei feminist activist who is passionate on issues around gender justice, climate justice, youth development, sexual & reproductive health & rights, and many other intersecting human rights issues. Tamani is also an ocean enthusiast, a spoken word artist, and loves magic.

What brings Tamani pleasure?

“Pleasured by many things in life that includes my work for the rights for all, being around loved ones, a good read or a fun time out hiking with friends or bonfire by the beach. “

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