Rosa Koian, Activist, Papua New Guinea
“There can be no sustainable development when rural women in their communities are frequently held under threat of displacement, or physical and sexual abuse.”
Fifty-two-year-old Rosa Koian is a pioneering environmental and human rights activist in Papua New Guniea, where she’s been unafraid to fight for the rights of women and village people against exploitation by transnational corporations or extractive industries.
Originally trained in development communications, Rosa has coordinated development campaigns focused on community development in Madang, where she advocates for gender justice and fights against land grabbing and corruption. She has recently taken up a new challenge in advocating for those in the margins – people living with leprosy.
As powerful Western interests make inroads into Papua New Guinea, Rosa has been a vocal champion of a more culturally sensitive development model, one that benefits all people and honours her country’s communal way of life.