Governor Reed B. Oliver joined the First Lady of Pohnpei, Mrs. Estle G. Oliver, to celebrate International Women’s Day under the banner/theme: Break the Bias and Women in Leadership, achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, at the Kolonia-China Friendship Gymnasium on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
In her welcoming remarks, the First Lady of Pohnpei, Mrs. Estle G. Oliver, acknowledged and welcomed all distinguished guests to the important event. She noted the passing of Public Law 10L-75-22, establishing March 8, Women’s Day, as a legal public holiday in Pohnpei, and recognized the introducers of the bill that became law, Senators Shelten Neth and McGarry Miguel.
Other speakers who participated in the event included Mrs. Suwanna Lawrence who gave the keynote address and shared useful and empowering statistics around breaking the bias and women in leadership in Pohnpei. Mrs. Norleen O. Deorio, Chief of Primary Healthcare spoke on behalf of the Director of Health to update all on the current vaccination and COVID-19 response efforts in Pohnpei. Ambassadors H.E. Carmen Cantor and H.E. Joanne Cowley along with U.N. Resident Coordinator Jaap Van Hierden also spoke to congratulate and mark the special occasion with updates from their organization’s gender and social programs. Other speakers of the day included Ms. Monique Poll from the Pohnpei Consumer Organization and IsoNahnken of Nett, T.H. Salvador Iriarte.
This year, a pageant was held to choose the International Women’s Day Queen. Contestants from each of the Women’s organizations were chosen to represent and compete for the title of Queen. This year’s International Women’s Day Queen was chosen to be Likend Kelekel Madolenihmw, Mrs. Merleen Martin Hebel. Congratulations Likend Kelekel Madolenihmw!
Wasalapalap Isipahu Nahnmwarki of Madolenihmw, IsoNahnken of Nett, and Likend Kelekel Madolenihmw headed the list of honored guests that came out to observe and mark this historic occasion. Speaker Marvin T. Yamaguchi, Vice Speaker McGarry Miguel, Senator Ricky Carl, Senator Shelten Neth, and Senator Aisek Artui represented the 10th Pohnpei State Legislature. Kolonia Town Mayor T.H. Betrigo Jacob and the First Lady of Kolonia Rosa Maria Jacob also attended the event. From the Diplomatic Corps, H.E. Huang Zheng, Chinese Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), H.E. Carmen Cantor, U.S. Ambassador to FSM, U.N. Resident Coordinator Mr. Jiaap Van Hierden, and H.E. Joanne Cowley, Australian Ambassador to the FSM joined the event.
