The leader of a Solomon Islands theatre group has won an international award for her efforts in combatting violence.
Rhian Gatu received a British Council Encounters Award after presenting a documentary on Stages of Change's work at the International Sustainable Arts Forum at the Festival of Pacific Arts in Guam.
She was selected out of hundreds of applicants worldwide and awarded one of the seven awards given for personal leadership as a change-maker.
Stages of Change has been using theatre to reduce violence against women and children and raise the status of women.
Ms Gatu said the impact of the project had been profound on everyone involved.
"It changes not other women too but ourselves too," she explained.
"Like, when we go into this theatre and we go and do this training it changes some of our mindsets. And it starts with us. Like we have to do this with our own kids, so we started it at home."
British Council Encounter Programme Award Ceremony for Rhian Gatu (in black) at the Chamorro Culture Centre in Guam with Chamorro children. Photo: British Council New Zealand
