Born: 14 April 1942, Solomon Islands
Died: 14 June 1989
Country most active: Solomon Islands
Also known as: Lilly Rubaha
Lilly Ogatina, daughter of Anglican catechist George Rubaha and Lusuai, was among the first Solomon Islands women sent abroad for education. Seven years of study in New Zealand culminated in her return, where she engaged in primary school teaching in Bungana.
In 1965, Lilly Ogatina secured a seat in the Legislative Assembly, becoming the first woman representative. Her marriage to Aubrey Poznanski in 1966 marked a union of Polish and Gilbertese heritage. Despite a 1967 unsuccessful bid for Honiara, she continued teaching in Honiara’s Government Primary School.
Poznanski’s political journey included unanimous election to the City Council in 1969. As Assistant in the Governing Council in 1970, she balanced responsibilities with aiding her husband’s garage business. In 1978, she became the highest-paid woman, holding a senior administrative role in the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Industry, and Labour.
Remaining close to her rural roots, Poznanski led efforts to reconnect the Zabana people with disrupted traditions. Post-independence, her 1984 parliamentary contest proved unsuccessful. Lilly Ogatina Poznanski passed away on June 14, 1989, leaving a legacy that paved the way for Hilda Kari, the country’s only woman parliamentarian until 2012.