Port Vila, Vanuatu – 22nd February 2026
The killing of 19-year-old Nichol Ashem of South Malekula is a horrific tragedy that has shaken our nation. A young life, full of potential, was brutally stolen in an act of extreme violence. The Vanuatu Women’s Centre condemns the action and we stand in solidarity with the family of Nichol Ashem.
This senseless act is a stark reminder that violence against women and girls remains the most persistent human rights violation in Vanuatu. When a woman is murdered by an intimate partner, it is the failure of our society to uphold the values of respect and safety.
We must be clear: ‘violence is a choice, not a reason’. No dispute, no jealousy, and no circumstance justifies the abuse or killing of a woman. Too often, we tend to blame substance abuse as an excuse for such terrible actions. Our focus must shift from the substance involved to the structural inequalities and misogynistic beliefs that normalize the mistreatment of women and girls. Statements such as ‘the drugs made him do it’ is a dangerous myth that can easily continue blaming the victim and put less accountability on the perpetrator for his horrific actions.
The high rates of physical and sexual violence in our country are a national emergency with a lifetime prevalence rate of 60% of women and girls facing physical and sexual violence. In preceding years, cases of domestic violences filed at the Magistrate Court of Vanuatu have remained high compared to other case types filed. This shows that cannot remain silent while our daughters and sisters live in fear. Every time we ignore small acts of control or abuse, we create the environment where a tragedy like this can happen.
Community leaders including church leaders and chiefs and families must stop treating domestic violence as a private matter. Our silence gives permission to the violence to continue.
Too often violence perpetrated upon women and girls is classified as a ‘women’s issue’, and this can impair our perception to its harmful impacts to our families and communities, and may limit participation of leaders and other members of the society to speak out and address this issue.
To our men and boys, it is okay to speak up against violence perpetrated amongst women and girls to your peers. True strength is found in peace and equality, not in the use of force against those you claim to love.
We call on the judicial system to ensure the perpetrator faces appropriate legal consequences of his heinous actions.
We call on the national and provincial governments to strengthen the enforcement of the Family Protection Act and related policies to ensure there is coordinated efforts between the national and provincial governments, civil society and development partners to improve the wellbeing of women and girls. Eliminating discrimination and violence against women and girls must not only look good in our National Plans and Policies, but must become a reality with resources allocated to systematically address this issue, as current resources allocated to different institutions to adequately address this issue is lacking.
Nichol Ashem’s fatal story must serve as a turning point where we must all work together- government, churches, chiefs, communities and families to meaningfully address violence perpetrated against women and girls.
Tatavola Matas
National Coordinator
Vanuatu Women’s Centre