Merilyn Tahi

Merilyn Tahi (born 26 June 1950) is a campaigner against domestic violence from Vanuatu, who co-founded Vanuatu Women's Centre and was the first woman from the country to become a municipal councillor. She was recognised as the fortieth Commonwealth Point of Light in 2018.

Early life and education Tahi was born on 26 June 1950 on Ambae. The eldest of seven siblings, her parents worked for the Anglican Mission on the island. In the 1980s she volunteered of several committees relating to women's issues, as well as the operation of non-governmental organisations in Vanuatu. At a regional meeting she recalled how after her death of her husband in 1997, she was thrown out of her matrimonial house.

Tahi worked as an Election Observer for Nauru in 2016, alongside Anote Tong and Lorna Simon.

During 2018, whilst Vanuatu celebrated thirty-six years of independence and government that it was one of the happiest countries in the world, Tahi challenged this narrative by openly discussing the high levels of domestic violence that women in the country were subjected to. In 2020 Tahi worked with the Vanuatu Women's Centre to mitigate the double impact of Cyclone Harold and COVID-19.

Awards

In 2018 Tahi was honoured as the 40th Commonwealth Point of Light, a series of award recognising the contributions of volunteers in the Commonwealth of Nations. In her acceptance speech, Tahi stated that she was accepting it on behalf of the Vanuatu Women's Centre.

In 2020 the Australian High Commission recognised Tahi with the 40th Anniversary Gender Equality Advocate Award, a one-off award celebrating her lifetime's work toward gender equality.