On the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (March 8, 2011), IFES launched its Women Advocating for Voices in Government (WAVIG) program. Funded by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State, WAVIG aims to increase the political participation and representation of women in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands by improving their capacity to influence decision-makers and advocate for equality in political processes.

One of the cornerstones of the program is to increase the technical skills of local civil society leaders so that they're able to conduct well-informed public information and advocacy campaigns.  IFES hopes this will help improve the public’s attitude towards women's civic and political participation, as well as mobilize grassroots efforts to enhance women’s political leadership and capacity to influence decision makers, and advocate for legal reforms that would increase women’s access to elected office.

The program will create regional connections among civil society leaders, establishing international networks of support, knowledge and experience to be used as a resource for home-country advocacy work.