Yap Women's Association
{{Short description|Women's Association in the Federated States of Micronesia}}
Yap Women's Association is a women's rights organisation in Yap State, in the Federated States of Micronesia. Founded in 1955 as a non-profit, it works to provide resources for women in the state.
Background
The Yap Women's Association was founded in 1955 as a non-profit initiative to represent women's groups in Yap State.{{Cite web |title=Yap Women's Association: About YWA |url=http://yapwomensassociation.blogspot.com/p/about-ywa.html |access-date=2021-12-03 |website=Yap Women's Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116211731/http://yapwomensassociation.blogspot.com/p/about-ywa.html |archive-date=16 November 2021 |url-status=dead}} One of its founders was nurse and activist Anna Falgog, who brought together women who worked in government to set up a women's group.{{cite book|last1=Simon-McWilliams|first1=Ethel|url=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED280923.pdf|title=Glimpses into Pacific Lives: Some Outstanding Women (Revised).|date=1987|publisher=Northwest Regional Educational Lab.|location=Portland, Oregon|pages=52–3|access-date=25 October 2021}}
Programmes
The YWA acts as an intermediary between the national government and local groups.Santiago, Estephan. [http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.511.7408&rep=rep1&type=pdf "Community Fisheries Officer Community Fisheries Section Secretariat of the Pacific Community Noumea, New Caledonia."] (2001). As reported in 1992, the YWA could provide catering and dancers for events targeted at tourists.{{Cite journal|last=Mansperger|first=Mark|date=2010-05-21|title=Yap: A Case of Benevolent Tourism|url=https://doi.org/10.17730/praa.14.2.p76t404146651365|journal=Practicing Anthropology|volume=14|issue=2|pages=10–13|doi=10.17730/praa.14.2.p76t404146651365|issn=0888-4552|url-access=subscription}} In 1995 the YWA supported the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives Conference and was represented by Laura Tiningdad.{{Cite book|last=Cohen|first=Arlene|url=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED412941.pdf|title=PIALA '95. Preservation of Culture through Archives and Libraries. Papers from the Annual Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives Conference (5th, Colonia, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, November 6-10, 1995).|publisher=Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives, Guam.|year=1995}} As of 2001, a member of the YWA served each year on the Yap Day committee.AoYAMA, Toru. [https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/63102946/Aoyama_2001_Yap_Day-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1638573818&Signature=e25-r6TAfBd~G9rTE2afYZJ0uUaJp~V4O4QtL-xcsXemirMr-yB7dtLI1BB57a0ArCra8zXocL1X2A8QwAYSDywOYxkMnjFuy20r2o18tZ-8xXVZLh3F4Rl0Re-RJ9G~0m2nz7mKUxVWKpxFxlXC5jlbHAVmpVE~eZ2HkGQFnMloAd5xoiIb66WZKaiVeHcMSjkXNe6p9nZfnCmCR13pu~WWVeAxFdhNFwWHbEwk14hSJnQtkmjtIjhEiHVInPM72knZb5u7zmnSMn7THf2rTniVQjAfkw9aYOI0W8QRpO7V5jLH0jtpTtOFmKKKRBO1VG0zsSmPLXUeOiKALUfDqA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA "Yap Day: Cultural Politics in the State of Yap."] Kagoshima University Research Center for the Pacific Islands Occasional Papers 34 (2001): 1-13. In 2009, the association supported the creation of the Neighboring Islands Women Association, to deliver services for the outer islands surrounding Yap. The initiative was led by Irene Futumai.{{Cite web|date=2021-12-03|title=YAP WOMEN'S GROUP ELECTS OFFICERS {{!}} Pacific Islands Report|url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2009/04/28/yap-women%C3%A3%C2%82%C3%A2%C2%92s-group-elects-officers|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203222353/http://www.pireport.org/articles/2009/04/28/yap-women%C3%A3%C2%82%C3%A2%C2%92s-group-elects-officers|archive-date=2021-12-03}}
As of 2013, seventy-three groups were registered with the association. In 2017, the Chinese government gave the association a grant of $120,000 to fund the construction of a new building.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-16|title=Project {} {{!}} china.aiddata.org|url=https://china.aiddata.org/projects/41954/|access-date=2021-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116211642/https://china.aiddata.org/projects/41954/|archive-date=2021-11-16}} Between 2015 and 2019, assistant attorney general Rachelle Bergeron, who was later murdered, worked closely with and updated the bye-laws of the YWA.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-16 |title=What Happened To Rachelle Bergeron, Midwest Lawyer Slain in Micronesia |url=https://www.bustle.com/rule-breakers/rachelle-bergeron-yap-murder |access-date=2021-12-03 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116211131/https://www.bustle.com/rule-breakers/rachelle-bergeron-yap-murder |archive-date=16 November 2021 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|date=2019-11-20|title=Murder in Yap: sleepy Pacific island rocked by shooting of American attorney general|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/21/in-yap-sleepy-pacific-island-rocked-by-shooting-of-american-lawyer|access-date=2021-12-03|website=the Guardian|language=en}} In 2018, the YWA hosted Baklai Temengil and Jennifer Chieng in the run-up to the 2018 MicroGames.{{Cite web|last=Admin|date=2017-10-16|title=Yap's own Olympic boxer visits home in run-up to '18 MicroGames|url=https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/2017/10/16/yaps-own-olympic-boxer-visits-home-in-run-up-to-18-microgames|access-date=2021-12-04|website=pactimes|language=en}}
As of 2020, the president of the YWA was Laura Ngaden. In 2013, she was the State Electoral Commissioner.{{Cite web|title=Yap Certifies Election Results; Ganngiyan Wins Governors Race {{!}} Pacific Islands Report|url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2014/12/30/yap-certifies-election-results-ganngiyan-wins-governors-race|access-date=2021-12-04|website=www.pireport.org}}