| Part of a series on |
| Women in society |
|---|
 |
Women in the Federated States of Micronesia are women who live in or are from the Federated States of Micronesia, an independent sovereign island nation composed of four states. Thus, FSM women includes women from the States of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei (formerly Ponape) and Kosrae (previously known as Kusaie).
By tradition, clan membership in Micronesia society is generally passed down through women. Women were the cultivators of the land and they were the producers of staple food crops. They also did inshore fishing and were sea food gatherers. Women were also involved in arts and crafts such as in the production of thatch weaving, "loom-woven lavalavas, pandanus mats, medicine and ornaments". They are caretakers and "primary teachers" of children. Micronesian women were the initiators in community planning, the peacemakers, economic contributors, "preservers of the home", "acquirers of prestige", and they also have roles in Micronesian politics. [1]
In general, women share power with their male counterparts in Micronesian society. Women's roles were complementary to the roles of men. Some Micronesian women contribute decisions regarding disposal of family land, and they have the "power to disinherit members of the family", as well as the imposer of taboos regarding the use of both land and sea. [1]
Traditionally, men and women would balance labor by performing different roles in cultivating and preparing food. However, with recent changes in island culture such as the rise of imported foreign foods, the duty of working in the kitchen has largely been given to the women. This imbalance of labor performed by women is being addressed by the minority of modernized Micronesian families where traditional roles shared by men and women. [2] : 120–121
Micronesian women can force men to make peace with their enemies. Women were often the drafters of the "terms of peace". A senior female would have a title that is parallel to the senior male member of the so-called Pohnpeian lineage, and she would have "considerable authority" over the group. The senior women can act as a person intervening matters such as in stopping a man from beating his children" and when and how long a man should refrain from sleeping with his wife after childbirth. [1]
During the Yap Day festival in March, Micronesian women wear traditional costumes and perform traditional dances.
The Federated States of Micronesia, or simply Micronesia, is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states – from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae – that are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands that cover a longitudinal distance of almost 2,700 km (1,678 mi) just north of the equator. They lie northeast of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, south of Guam and the Marianas, west of Nauru and the Marshall Islands, east of Palau and the Philippines, about 2,900 km (1,802 mi) north of eastern Australia, 3,400 km (2,133 mi) southeast of Japan, and some 4,000 km (2,485 mi) southwest of the main islands of the Hawaiian Islands.
The Federated States of Micronesia are located on the Caroline Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. The history of the modern Federated States of Micronesia is one of settlement by Micronesians; colonization by Spain, Germany, and Japan; United Nations trusteeship under United States-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and gradual independence beginning with the ratification of a sovereign constitution in 1979.
Geography of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a country located in the western Pacific Ocean, and in the Micronesia cultural and ecological sub-region of Oceania. While its total land area is very small at 702 km2 (271 sq mi), it has the 14th largest exclusive economic zone at 2,996,419 km2 (1,156,924 sq mi).
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and Melanesia to the south—as well as with the wider community of Austronesian peoples.
Kosrae, formerly known as Kusaie or Strong's Island, is an island in Federated States of Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes the main island of Kosrae and a few nearby islands and islets, the most significant of which is inhabited by 1,500 people.
The traditional music of the Federated States of Micronesia varies widely across the four states, and has, in recent times, evolved into popular music influenced by Europop, country music and reggae.
Chuuk State is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The other states are Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, and Yap State. It consists of several island groups:
The State of Yap also known in the Yapese language as "Fare Nam nu Wa'ab" or simply as Wa'ab, is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The other states are Kosrae State, Pohnpei State, and Chuuk State.
Satawal is a solitary coral atoll of one island with about 500 people on just over 1 km2 located in the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Satawal is the easternmost island in the Yap island group and is located approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of Lamotrek.
The Habele Outer Island Education Fund is a South Carolina–based charitable organization serving K-12 aged students in Micronesia. Habele's initial geographic focus was the so-called "Outer Islands" of Yap State as well as lagoon and outer islands in neighboring Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. It now serves students of all backgrounds throughout the Freely Associated States.
The population of the Federated States of Micronesia is predominantly Christian, although the representation of various denominations varies greatly from state to state. The government generally upholds the freedom of religion, but the small Muslim community in the country faces significant discrimination from both general society and the government.
Yap traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micronesia, inclusive of the Yap Main Islands and its various outer islands, the Yap Neighboring Islands. For specifying the island group, the name Yap Main Islands is most exact.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Micronesia may face challenges not faced by non-LGBT people. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples, as same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognized. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been illegal since 2018.
Japanese settlement in what constitutes the present-day Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) dates back to the end of the 19th century, when Japanese traders and explorers settled on the central and eastern Carolines, although earlier contacts can not be completely excluded. After Japan occupied the islands in 1914, Japanese migrated to the Carolines on a large scale in the 1920s and 1930s. The Japanese government encouraged immigration to the islands belonging to the South Seas Mandate in order to offset demographic and economic problems facing Japan at that time.
The Chuukese, previously spelled Trukese, are an Austronesian-speaking ethnic group indigenous to the island of Chuuk and its surrounding islands and atolls. They constitute almost 49% of the population of the Federated States of Micronesia, making them by far the largest ethnic group in the country.
The Yapese people are a Micronesian ethnic group native to the main island of Yap. Under different administrative rules, Yapese culture has been influenced by Spanish, Japanese, German, and American cultures. Aspects of traditional Yapese culture are still important in modern Yapese culture.
Yap Day is a legal holiday in Yap State, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), held annually on March 1. It is a celebration of traditional Yapese culture. Common activities held during this time include competitions and traditional dances.
Religion in Yap is predominantly Roman Catholic, which first arrived in Yap in the late 1880s. Before that, the Yapese people practiced traditional rituals and practices and held beliefs about the gods, the spirits, taboos, and death. Through the efforts of Capuchin and Jesuit missionaries, the Catholic Church eventually became the dominant church on Yap. Other religions on Yap include Protestantism and other Christian sects.
Life expectancy at birth in the Federated States of Micronesia was 66 for men and 69 for women in 2018.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Federated States of Micronesia refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The first known missionaries arrived on July 5, 1978. As of December 31, 2019, there were 6,307 members in 24 congregations in FSM. The LDS Church has congregations in every state in the FSM.
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to People of the Federated States of Micronesia . |
