The Sea Women of Melanesia is an Incorporated not-for-profit Association registered in Papua New Guinea, with all indigenous female Directors.
The award-winning Sea Women of Melanesia training program is facilitated by the Association in Papua New Guinea with support from the Coral Sea Foundation in Australia and its international partners.
The SWoM program empowers indigenous women in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands with the training, skills, equipment, and resources they need to take an active role in helping indigenous communities create and manage marine protected areas on their own coral reefs.
The SWoM program supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Gender Equality, Sustainable Communities, and Life Below Water.
Contact us : seawomenofmelanesia@gmail.com
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Naomi Longa
Team Leader - Kimbe SWoM Inc.
Coordinator: Sea Women of Melanesia Program at the Coral Sea Foundation
Naomi is a Papua New Guinean woman from the Island of New Britain and team leader for the SWoM Program in Kimbe and Manus. The youngest of 6 children, she grew up swimming in the Bismarck Sea with the incredible coral reefs of Kimbe Bay at her doorstep. Inspired by the sea, she went on to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Papua New Guinea, and completed her SSI Scuba Diver Instructor qualification with Pleasure Divers on Magnetic Island and Dive Munda in Solomon Islands. Since 2019, Naomi has been involved in training more than 25 new women in SWoM training programs in Milne Bay, Kimbe and Munda and she has lectured on the role of indigenous women in marine conservation at international events in Port Moresby, Sydney and Perth. Naomi was awarded the Blue Marine Foundation Ocean Award for the "Local Hero" category, 2021, in recognition of her work with the SWoM program. Email Naomi.
Martha Eimba
Director - SWoM Inc., and Team Leader, Milne Bay Province
Martha has a mixed parentage of East Sepik and Milne Bay, and she is one of the Directors of SWoM Inc. and the Team leader for the SWoM program in Milne Bay Province. Martha was born and raised in the Milne Bay Province, one of the largest maritime provinces of Papua New Guinea and world-renowned for it's beautiful coral reefs and marine biodiversity. Martha obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Papua New Guinea and is an Alumna at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Martha completed her PADI Open Water Diver certification at the Conflict Islands in 2019 through the Sea Women of Melanesia training program. Martha has been managing SWoM conservation and aid delivery operations with traditional landowners in Sewa Bay, Ferguson Island, the Engineering Group of Islands and the Deboyne Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago. Martha trains new Sea Women, helps communities establish Locally Managed Marine Areas as well as leading SWoM research expeditions to the western Louisiades to identify new manta aggregation sites in a collaborative project with the Manta Trust. Email Martha.
Evangelista Apelis
Director - SWoM Inc., and Team Leader, Port Moresby.
Hailing from East New Britain, Morobe, Madang and New Ireland Provinces, Evangelista Apelis was an Archer Leadership Scholarship recipient in 2019 prior to joining the Sea Women of Melanesia Inc. as one of the Directors and Team Leader for the Port Moresby chapter. She was born and raised in Madang province, a biodiversity treasure trove with well over 1300 different species of reef fish and a diverse range of coral. Evangelista graduated in 2021 with a bachelor of science degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea and has always been passionate about environmental conservation and climate change. She has led a group of aspiring young women at the University of Papua New Guinea through the SWoM training program in 2020, and continues to oversee administrative and public relations/partnerships roles within the organization.
Israelah Atua
Director - SWoM Inc., Port Moresby.
Israelah is from the Madang and Manus Provinces of Papua New Guinea and she attained a Bachelor of Science degree in general biology from the University of Papua New Guinea in 2021. Israelah was a volunteer with the Sea Women of Melanesia team in her final year of University and she is now engaged full-time with the SWoM Inc-Port Moresby as the co-director and Treasurer.
Israelah has a passion for marine science and conservation which makes working with Sea Women team fascinating and inspiring. She hopes to engage more local indigenous women in training to safe-guard the marine ecosystems of the Coral Triangle and protect the biodiversity of the outstanding coral reefs of her homeland.
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