Kam na Mauri
Greetings to you all
Ngai ngkanne I kan (I kan) karakina aron aroia aine iaon Kiribati. Ao kateia mwaane nakoia n aron/irekereke ma te bowi ke te boowi ke te botaki inanon te mwaneaba. Ao ngkanne tenaan unimwaane, ngkana a na bootaki ke ana (ana) boowi ao aroia nakoia aine a katukuia nte auti bwa ana kuka. Ana kukana te kaingabong, te katawanou ke te katairiki ibukin uakanakiia nakon te mwaneaba inanon aia tai n bowi ke inanon aia tai n botaki.
I would like to share with you a story on what the roles of women play in Kiribati particularly when there is a special occasion or meeting/discussion in a community/village/island. During gatherings, the ‘unimwaane’ (old men) will then meet at the ‘mwaneaba’ (traditional
meeting house) while the women will stay at home to cook. The women will prepare all meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner to take over to the’ mwaneaba’ during the occasion.
Akea tabeia aine bwa ti te roko n nikira kanaia ao te roko n kamataku ngkana arona bwa e kainanoaki. Ngkanne, ngai ngkanne I kakoaua aio bwa ngke I (ngke I) mwakuri ngkoa n (aia Aobiti) Aobitin Aaba Ianena ao iririia tenaan Imatang ake ana nako buuki bwa na kabwarabwaraba nanon (te taetae) aia taetae n Imatang nakoia kaain Kiribati.
 
There is not much for women to do in these events apart from cooking and sometimes performing dance entertainments during the gathering. During my time working at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, I would often accompany foreign dignitaries to the outer island to assist with translation and communication with the locals. During these trips, I would often witness this culture.
Ao ngkana I iriia (ao enang mwaiti) ao ti tabeu bwa na kabwarabwaraa nanon ana taeka te imatang nakoia kaain te mwaneaba ao ngkana a taetae n Kiribati kaain te mwaneaba ao ngngai na kabwarabwaraa aia taetaen imatang nakon te Imatang are I iria. Ao akea te bwai ae I kona n taekinna ngai ae te aine bwa na ti kona n atonga arou ao I kanga n ira ana tiim te imatang anne n mwananga. Iaki kona n karina au baaire nte bwai are maroroakinaki nte mwaneaba.
On these trips, my only task was to assist with communication between the dignataries and the locals. In the mwaneaba, I only speak to translate or introduce myself and no further. I cannot contribute to any further discussions carried out in the mwaneaba.
Ao inanon tekatekara nte mwaneaba n kairuaeaki ao (anne ao) ti unimwaane kaain te mwaneaba ao akea tenaan aine ke ataei. Ao a ti kakaoti n nikira te amwarake ao a kaoti n roko n kamataku ngkana arona bwa e kainanoaki tao iai te katokabau – ao akea naba.
 
Aio e riki n tenaan aba ake (ake) buuki. Ao enang korakora iai bukina enag korakora te katei n unimwaane. Enang karako iaon Tarawa  bwa i Tarawa enag mwaiti te aomata ae kakaokoro ae a roko iaon Tarawa man aaba aika a kakaokoro n aron (tao kaain)te itera meang, ke te itera n maiaki, ke te itera nuuka.Ngkanne aio inang noora te kaokoro bwa are  ngai ikawairake iaon Tarawa, ma I taku bwa n au koaua ao n te anga teuana enang raoiroi te katei n Kiribati bwa ena kateimatoaaki. Ma nte anga are teuana a bon kaawa naba iai aine ao (tiaki) ana riai n ana riai riki n anganaki riki inaomataia bwa ana kona n ira buakon te bootaki ma ana aki riki bwa ti taan kuuka ngaiia.
While seated in the mwaneaba, it is easy to notice there are no women and children . They only show up to serve food and drink for the men and to entertain with dancing performance.
This culture is mostly practiced in the outer-islands. This strong practice is because the outer-islands still maintain great respect for the old men as their leaders. In Tarawa (capital), it is the opposite case perhaps due to residents coming from different outer-islands of the northen, southern or central parts of Kiribati. Having grown up in Tarawa, seeing the culture alive in the outer-islands is really a good way of having our culture preserved, however, the poor women should be given more freedom and join the gathering not only just chefs.
E rabwa
Thank you