Motarilavoa Hilda Lin̄i (7 September 1954 – 25 May 2025) was a Ni-Vanuatu politician, a

tribal chief A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...

of the Turaga nation of

Pentecost Island Pentecost is one of the 83 islands that make up the Oceania, South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. It lies due north of capital Port Vila. Pentecost is known as in French language, French and in Bislama. The island was known in its native lan ...

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...

in the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

, who was associated with the nuclear-free Pacific movement, women's rights, indigenous rights and environmental issues.

Life and career

Lin̄i was born on 7 September 1954. An alumna of the

University of Papua New Guinea The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is a university located in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. It was established by ordinance of the Australian administration in 1965. This followed the Currie Commission which had enquired ...

, following Vanuatu's independence in 1980, she became one of the first two women elected to the

Parliament of Vanuatu The Parliament of Vanuatu (; ) is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Vanuatu. It was established by chapter 4 of the 1980 Constitution, upon Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom. The functioning of Parlia ...

, in

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

. She served as member of parliament until 1996. During the early 1990s, as Minister of Health, she helped to persuade the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

to bring the question of the legality of

nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission, fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion, fusion reactions (thermonuclear weap ...

to the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. She was briefly

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

, from October 1996 to November 1996. She received The Nuclear-Free Future Award in 2005. She was a sister of Vanuatu's first Prime Minister,

Walter Lin̄i Walter Hadye Lin̄i ( ; 1942 – 21 February 1999) was a Raga Anglican priest and politician who was the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, from independence in 1980 to 1991. He was born at Agatoa village, Pentecost Island. Lin̄i was a key figure ...

. Lin̄i died at Port Vila Central Hospital in Port Vila, on 25 May 2025, at the age of 70.

References

1954 births 2025 deaths Vanuatuan chiefs Vanuatuan anti–nuclear weapons activists Vanuatuan women activists Vanuatuan women's rights activists People from Penama Province Female foreign ministers Female justice ministers Justice ministers of Vanuatu Female tribal chiefs in Oceania Members of the Parliament of Vanuatu Vanuatuan women in politics 20th-century Vanuatuan politicians {{Oceania-activist-stub

Life and career

See also

References