In a first for Nauru, a new video animation was released about the safety of women and children in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched during 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in November 2020, the ‘Staying Safe at Home’ video addressed domestic and family violence which typically increases during times of crisis such as COVID-19. The Ministry of Home Affairs and its Ewak n Erateko Safe House took a lead role in developing the video, produced by Pacific Women in partnership with SPC.
Girls Rise Up! aims to develop the confidence, skills and knowledge of at-risk girls in Solomon Islands and to help them establish supportive peer networks and the opportunity to safely advocate for issues that affect them. By expanding from Honiara to rural provinces, the project aims to support rural adolescent girls who face safeguarding risks related to logging and mining operations. The project is led by YWCA in partnership with CARE International and supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Girl program, managed by Pacific Women.
Clera Tegu, a 17 year-old deaf girl from Makira Ulawa Province in Solomon Islands, is one of over 200 young girls involved in the Girls Rise Up! The project aims to develop the confidence, skills and knowledge of at-risk girls while helping them establish supportive peer networks and the opportunity to safely advocate for issues that affect them. Through the project’s life skills program, Clera has learned several income generating skills including paper bead and jewellery making, and lavalava dying, which enables her to earn money and contribute to her family and church.
The Girls Rise Up! project is based in Honiara and aims to develop the confidence, skills to earn a living and knowledge of over 200 at-risk girls to help them establish supportive peer networks and the opportunity to safely advocate for issues that affect them. Under the project, community women are trained as mentors to work with girls who are most vulnerable, ensuring that they have confidence, awareness of and access to services to make the right life choices.
The "Adolescent Unplanned Pregnancy in the Pacific" reports present findings from Chuuk State (Federated States of Micronesia), Tonga and Vanuatu from research designed to shed light on the experiences of adolescent girls and young women who face unplanned pregnancy and motherhood.
About 20 Chuuk State health assistant trainees completed a training course by Chuuk Women's Council's Tongen Inepwineu Counseling Center (Ticc Gbv) on 'Gender, Violence Against Women, Human Rights, Psychological First Aid and Frontline Support’ in July 2021. The training focused on increasing their knowledge about the many aspects of support needed for survivors of violence against women — beyond medical assistance to include support to recover and seek long term assistance.
The Chuuk Women’s Council, through its Tongen Inepwineu Counselling Center (TICC) counselling service, carried out its first 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and not having their president present in-country. The global campaign starts annually on 25 November with International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence and ends 10 December on Human Rights Day.
Marshall Islands Police Department officers received training by Women United Together in Marshall Islands (WUTMI) to better respond to and prevent violence against women, with Pacific Women support. The training focused on gender, violence against women, human rights and legislation and was remotely delivered.
Surveys have shown that one in three Marshallese women have experienced some form of abuse in their lifetime. ‘RMI’s rates of violence against women and children are staggering and unacceptable for a nation whose culture is built on peace, care and love for family and clan …’ said Women United Together in Marshall Islands’ (WUTMI) Executive Director, Daisy Alik-Momotaro. With Pacific Women support, WUTMI expanded its support service for women and children survivors of domestic and family violence out to remote and island locations.
Prominent figures in Tuvalu took the lead during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in 2020, speaking out against violence in a national media campaign. The campaign set the tone for a range of events coordinated by the Gender Affairs Department (GAD) in partnership with other stakeholders in Tuvalu, featuring: the Prime Minister, His Excellency Kausea Natano; Attorney General, Eselealofa Apinelu; and Minister for Health, Social Welfare and Gender Affairs, Isaia Taape.
The central theme of CSW65, held in March 2021, was women’s participation and decision-making in public life and the elimination of violence. As Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuvalu represented the forum’s Pacific Island countries. Tuvalu’s Minister for Health, Social Welfare and Gender Affairs, Honourable Isaia stated that the empowerment of Pacific women and girls was critical to achieving sustainable development and the resilience of Pacific nations, adding there was a long way to go before we can see women’s full participation in decision-making in the Pacific. Hon.
Historically, Tuvalu has been a country where talking openly about domestic and family violence was taboo but national leaders have started speaking out against this crime. For the first time, the Traditional Leaders’ Forum of Tuvalu dedicated its annual meeting, held in November 2020, to ending violence against women and human rights. The Forum, organised by the Gender Affairs Department of the Ministry of Health, Social Welfare and Gender Affairs, was themed ‘Let Us Work Together to Make Our Home Safe for Everyone!’
In the Pacific, diverse populations contribute to Pacific communities at local and national levels, with their own preferred terms for people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or gender diverse, or intersex (LGBTI) people.
This Thematic Brief provides information and analysis about climate change issues affecting women and girls in the Pacific Islands region. It has been developed by the Support Unit of Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women). The three key messages provide background to women and climate change issues in the Pacific. They demonstrate the importance of recognising and supporting women’s leadership and decision-making in addressing climate change in the Pacific region.
This Thematic Brief provides information and analysis about women, peace and security in the Pacific Islands region. The brief has been written for the Support Unit of Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women).
This Thematic Brief provides information and analysis about leadership and decision making for women and girls in the Pacific Islands region.
In the 2012 Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declaration, Pacific leaders committed to implementing the following gender-responsive government programs and policies to promote women’s roles in leadership and decision making:
The Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) roundtable convened July 2021 generated critical discussions around gender and agriculture in the Pacific. Key presentations centered on the Fiji 2020 Agriculture Census – Volume III: Gender Analysis Report by the Ministry of Agriculture; Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Analysis of the Root Crop Sector by the PHAMA Plus program; Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis in the Organic Space by the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) Pacific Community (SPC).
The first regional ‘Supervision Skills for Health and Social Services Professionals' training aimed to support crisis centre counsellors and caseworkers in delivering services to women and children survivors of violence, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought together more than 20 participants from crisis centres in small island states, joined by government nominees, from Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap states), Kiribati, Nauru, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu.
Seventeen-year-old Anamalia Falemaka of Talitha Project in Tonga participated in the UNCRC side event in Samoa in March 2020 titled ‘A dive into the Blue Pacific’. Girls like Anamalia used the forum to share their experiences, lessons learned and innovative approaches at the international event. It was a learning opportunity for participants to exchange information, knowledge and challenges faced in the Pacific region. The side-event involved grassroots civil society organisations in the Pacific which engage with girls and acknowledge their role, agency and expertise.
Working towards gender equality is a priority for Tuvalu National Council for Women, a non-government organisation that has connected women across Tuvalu since 1977. In addition to its church service and street march, the council planned a radio program, conducted a small polled women on progress, good practices in their communities, practices in need of change, and their desired government actions.