During the fourth Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development PNG Annual Learning workshop, David Kulimbao, Project Coordinator at Community Development Workers Association Inc (CDWAI), and Pas Semai Linbao, Team Leader of the Tsak Rural Women Empowerment Foundation, reflected on their resilience and food production project.
Tuiloma Neroni Slade (then Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum), John Gemba (a male advocate with Eastern Highlands Family Voice in Papua New Guinea), John Ericho (Director of Eastern Highlands Family Voice in Papua New Guinea), and Tura Lewai (a male advocate with the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre) reflect on the need for men and boys to be involved in ending violence against women.
Working Together to Improve Gender Equality in the Pacific looks at the exisiting challenges of advancing gender equality in the areas of leadership and decision making, economic empowerment and ending violence against women. It also provides an overview and introduction to the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development program.
Savina Nongebatu reflects on the experiences of women with disabilities in the Solomon Islands - the challenges they face and support they need - as well as shares her vision for the future.
What were the factors that supported Kiribati's Minister for Education Hon. Maere Tekanene's progression into national level leadership? Watch to hear first-hand about her amazing and inspirational journey.
Shamima Ali, Coordinator of the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre (FWCC), provides an overview of the issue of violence against women it the Pacific, the drivers of violence and the importance of engaging men.
Vanuatu Women's Centre (VWC) Coordinator, Merilyn Tahi, elaborates on the services her organisation provides Ni-Van women and the research VWC has conducted on violence against women in Vanuatu.
How can we encourage community members to take an active role in eliminating violence against women? Do the police play an important role in this? Hear what EribwebweTakirua, Police Inspector from the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Unit, Kiribati has to say about this.
Tuiloma Neroni Slade (then Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum), John Gemba (a male advocate with Eastern Highlands Family Voice in Papua New Guinea), John Ericho (Director of Eastern Highlands Family Voice in Papua New Guinea), and Tura Lewai (a male advocate with the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre) reflect on the need for men and boys to be involved in ending violence against women.
Alvina Erekali, the country program coordinator for UN Women in Solomon Islands, describes the Markets for Change initiative. She also shares challenges faced by women's organisations in Solomon Islands and her vision for the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Program.
Pacific Island adolescent girls participating in the two-day preparatory workshop ahead of the Pacific Girl Regional Stakeholders’ Dialogue in May 2018 wrote a song together to express their feelings and experiences. It highlights challenges for Pacific girls, including teen pregnancy and cyberbullying, and encourages girls to believe in themselves to overcome any barriers.
Adolescent girls in the Pacific face challenges because they are girls; and they can also be discriminated against for other reasons, such as having a disability or getting pregnant. In this short video, adolescent girls from the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu talk about the issues that are important to them – such as education and climate change, the challenges they face – such as violence in their homes and cyber bullying, and the strategies they believe will work to empower adolescent girls in the region.
More than 100 women and men from all parts of Papua New Guinea, the Pacific and globally were able to connect through various online platforms over five intensive days in August and share invaluable research, knowledge and resources in their work to empower women. The Zoom meeting was broadcast from Port Moresby to four provincial venues that participants could visit to watch the workshop ‘live’ in Buka, Goroka, Lae and Wewak.
In the lead up to Tongan elections on November 30, 2021, a workshop was held to assist current and potential women candidates to become more effective candidates who are better able to develop impactful campaigns and influence voters about the benefits women offer as leaders. In mid-November 2021, Tonga had only two women members in parliament, one elected and one appointed.
Equal opportunities, equal human rights and equal access to services for women and men remains a priority for Kiribati. This was the focus of the national Kiribati Gender Equality and Women’s Development Policy and a key topic of discussion at the inaugural 2021 Annual Reflections Meeting held in September 2021. The meeting brought together people from across Kiribati who work to improve gender equality, through projects supported by the Australian Government and its Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) program.
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.
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 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: