Portraits of Vanuatu

Vanuatu: Where Tradition Meets Change

Maewo, a slender island in the northern province of Vanuatu, rises steeply from the Pacific with waterfalls that spill down volcanic cliffs into dense rainforest. Often called one of the happiest places on earth—an honor echoed in global surveys and travel reports—Vanuatu, and Maewo in particular, is known for its strong communal ties, rich storytelling traditions, and deep connection to land and ancestry.

Daily life here moves with a rhythm shaped by tradition. Gardens are hand-tended. Food is shared communally. Oral histories are passed down in songs, dances, and ceremonies. Maewo is one of the few places where women hold the title of Notari—traditional female leaders whose roles carry spiritual and community weight. These positions are rare, and their recognition varies, but where they are respected, they represent a quiet assertion of gender authority in a landscape often shaped by male power.

Despite its beauty and social cohesion, Maewo is not untouched by the global issues that affect many island communities. Patriarchy remains deeply embedded in some local customs, limiting the participation of women and girls in decision-making, education, and economic independence. Access to healthcare, reproductive rights, and formal protections against domestic violence are uneven. These are human rights challenges, and they exist alongside a cultural heritage that is both resilient and in transition.

Visiting Maewo is not about witnessing a place frozen in time—it is about seeing a living culture negotiating the pressures of the modern world while holding on to what makes it distinct. It is about acknowledging joy and hospitality while also listening closely to the voices—especially women’s voices—that are asking for recognition, equity, and space.

To photograph in Maewo is to be invited into a place where identity is collective, where the land feeds the people, and where the future depends on how well the past and present can speak to one another.