Women's Whispers: Indigenous women's participation in decolonising Oceania

Abstract

Indigenous women in Oceania have contributed to the struggle for independence against former-colonial powers but predominantly masculine histories of decolonisation dominate the literature. The colonial and decolonising experience of Indigenous women is distinct to men yet their significant formal and informal participation in the self-determination of their respected nations have largely been neglected in favour of narratives of "great men and great deeds" in nation-building. The role and contribution of women in pre-independence civil society, non-government organizations, education, cooperatives, trade, arts and theatre as well as local government and the bureaucracy needs to be visible and recognised in order to develop a greater understanding of current socio-political dynamics in Oceania. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the decision-making processes of women in the private, domestic sphere, as opposed to men's public participation in the politics of independence was an effective avenue of political expression