PALIKIR, Pohnpei – August 16, 2026 – His Excellency Wesley W. Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, officially opened the third Micronesian Ministers for Women Conference (MMWC) in Palikir on August 3, 2026, calling for stronger regional action to advance gender equality, women’s leadership, and inclusive development across Micronesia.
Delivering the keynote address, President Simina said women have a central role in strengthening families, communities, economies, and national development. He reaffirmed the FSM Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for women to participate fully in economic and public life through targeted policies, partnerships, and programs.
“The empowerment of women is not only a social imperative but an economic necessity. When women succeed, families prosper, communities flourish, and the nation grows stronger,” President Simina said.
The Conference convened ministers responsible for women’s development from the Federated States of Micronesia, U.S. Territory of Guam, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Naoero, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, together with national leaders, senior government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, and women leaders. Discussions focused on practical measures to expand women’s economic participation, strengthen leadership pathways, and promote inclusive and sustainable development.
The Conference endorsed the KAMORALE Declaration, which sets a renewed regional agenda for gender equality, women’s leadership, human security, and inclusive development.
The Declaration further advances the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Micronesia by recognizing the links between peace, security, climate change, nuclear legacy issues, maritime security, cyber threats, transnational crime, and economic resilience. It affirms the importance of women’s leadership in peacebuilding, climate diplomacy, disaster preparedness, community resilience, and security decision-making.
Secretary Marcus Samo noted that the KAMORALE Declaration reflects the growing role of the MMWC as both a regional dialogue platform and an accountability mechanism within the Micronesian Islands Forum architecture. He emphasized that ministerial commitments should be integrated into the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework implementation and monitoring programs, and reported through the Gender Equality Committee to the Micronesian Islands Forum to support implementation and measurable progress.
“By connecting the outcomes of the MMWC to the priorities of the MIF and GEC, we are creating a pathway that ensures women’s voices, aspirations, and contributions are built into national development planning and implementation,” Secretary Samo said.
The Conference concluded with renewed commitments from governments, partners, and stakeholders to advance women’s empowerment, support women-led initiatives, and strengthen regional partnerships that promote equality, resilience, and sustainable development across Micronesia.
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