251 results
 Pacific Data Hub

Poverty profiles presented in Fiji emphasise income, consumption and expenditure characteristics that are often associated with poverty measurement at a household level. Measurement approaches aggregated by households often obscure the gendered experience of poverty by assuming that aspects of men’s and women’s lives are common, rather than that there are dimensions that are particularly important to women or men.

 Pacific Data Hub

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville introduced the Pacific’s first parliamentary reserved seats for women system in 2004. While the system guarantees a minimum level of representation for women in the Bougainville House of Representatives, concerns have been raised that the reserved seats act as a ceiling for women’s representation and prevent women from successfully contesting other seats. No women candidates contested the 33 open seats in the 2005 election. In the 2010 election, five women contested open seats.

 Pacific Data Hub

Among the consequences of conflict over gender roles or norms, the most disempowering one is violence against women. As part of the World Bank’s qualitative study informing the World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development, local researchers in Fiji and Papua New Guinea organised focus groups to elicit information about the impact of gender norms on women and men and to learn about the changes in women’s and men’s lives as these gender norms changed or persisted.

 Pacific Data Hub

The study unearthed a large amount of information about the delivery of adult literacy programs in rural communities, as well as finding some significant gaps in available information.

There is some incongruity between how adult literacy programs are typically described and perceived in Solomon Islands and the reality on the ground.

There is a wealth of knowledge amongst several key actors in the sector that could be harnessed more effectively to improve the delivery of adult literacy programs.

 Pacific Data Hub

Only two women have been elected to parliament (currently made up of 15 members) in Tuvalu since independence in 1978. With some exceptions, since the 1997 Falekaupule Act the final decision-making body (the Falekaupule) on many of Tuvalu’s eight inhabited islands has been dominated by male members, namely elders, matais (heads of each clan) and chiefs.

Because national politics remains heavily island based, the design of temporary special measures becomes crucial. Options being considered are:

- Provide an additional seat for women from each of Tuvalu’s eight islands.

 Pacific Data Hub

The women of Papua New Guinea endure some of the most extreme levels of violence in the world. They continue to be attacked with impunity despite their government’s promises of justice. The situation has been described as a humanitarian disaster yet still does not receive the broader public attention it deserves, inside or outside Papua New Guinea. It is also a significant obstacle to Papua New Guinea's development and prosperity.

 Pacific Data Hub

The Kiribati study shows that violence against women is prevalent:

- More than 2 in 3 (68%) ever-partnered women aged 15–49 reported experiencing physical or sexual violence, or both, by an intimate partner.

- 47% of women aged 15–49 who had ever been in a relationship reported experiencing emotional abuse by a partner at least once. Almost 1 in 3 women (30%) experienced emotional abuse in the 12 months prior to the interview.

 Pacific Data Hub

This review looks at major trends in spending (comparing women and men), the chief barriers to women having more income and control of their finances, and the key opportunities for programs to address economic empowerment of women at household and community levels.

 Pacific Data Hub

The Tongan study shows that violence against women is prevalent:

- 79% of Tongan women and girls have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

- 68% of Tongan women and girls are affected by physical violence perpetrated by mainly their fathers or teachers.

- 33% of married or ever partnered women are victims of physical violence.

- 17% of married or ever partnered women are victims of sexual violence.

- 24% of married or ever partnered women are subject to emotional violence.

 Pacific Data Hub

The Vanuatu study shows that violence against women is prevalent:

- Among women who have ever had an intimate sexual relationship with a partner, 60% experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime; 68% experienced emotional violence; 28% were subjected to several forms of control by their partner, 69% experienced at least one form of coercive control, and most of these were living with physical and sexual violence.

 Pacific Data Hub

This short paper identifies four central insights from a legal positive perspective into killings related to sorcery and witchcraft accusations:

- The belief in sorcery and witchcraft is a significant cause of fear and insecurity in Melanesia, as most deaths, sickness and other misfortunes are attributed to the malevolent powers of sorcerers and witches, meaning that people are always on guard against such attacks.

 Pacific Data Hub

This short paper looks at how the terms ‘sorcery’ and ‘witchcraft’ are frequently fused or used interchangeably, and are rarely conceptually distinguished. This blurring of the two occurs not only in popular accounts in the media but is widely reproduced by NGOs, donor organisations, and government institutions. A new acronym has even been coined SRK (‘sorcery-related killing’) that perpetuates the definitional lack of clarity, since it uses one term, sorcery, to refer to both sorcery and witchcraft.

 Pacific Data Hub

The Samoan study shows that violence against women is prevalent:

- 37.6% of women who have ever been in a relationship are likely to have experienced physical abuse by their partner.

- 18.6% of women are likely to have experienced emotional abuse by their partner.

- 19.6% of women are likely to have experienced sexual abuse by their partner.

- Of women have experienced physical abuse by their partner, 23.8% had been punched, kicked or beaten while they were pregnant.

 Pacific Data Hub

In Papua New Guinea, it is primarily through being ‘good’ wives, mothers and household managers that women become valued. This situation can leave young women and those who do not become wives and mothers with limited options for gaining respect and a voice, while potentially also constraining the opportunities for women to participate in other spheres.

 Pacific Data Hub

This report provides findings from a study conducted with men in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea on their use of violence against women. The study questioned 10,000 men in nine sites in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea. Men were asked about their use and experiences of violence, gendered attitudes and practices, childhood, sexuality, family life and health.

 Pacific Data Hub

This literature review identifies assumptions underpinning key questions relating to the appropriateness of donor assistance to activities and programs designed to support democratic governance in East Timor, Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. The extract commences with a discussion of some underpinning themes and then moves to particular issues relating to the promotion of women into political leadership. The review concludes with a full bibliography of sources used.

 Pacific Data Hub

This short paper looks at the example of women parliamentarians in Kiribati and Samoa to identify common characteristics of women who have been successful at being elected:

- Coming from a large and influential family provides an important ‘base vote’, willing campaign helpers, and potential financiers. Women MPs also tend to come from political families. That is, one or both of their parents, uncles or brothers have tended to have been in politics and they often act as patrons and mentors.

 Pacific Data Hub

Lessons from the UNFPA’s process of conducting researching violence against women in Kiribati and Solomon Islands included:

- There is overwhelming evidence that the studies in the Solomon Islands and Kiribati were generally been carried out appropriately and effectively.

- There is an overriding sense of achievement, all field workers came back safely and intact, a phenomenal job was done and an enormous amount of data was collected with high response rates and disclosure rates.

 Pacific Data Hub

Similarities across the situation analyses in Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tonga include:

- Women with disabilities make significant contributions to their communities. However, while they have similar talents, skills and experience as other women, they may be more often underrecognised and have fewer opportunities.

- Each country has a committed and active disabled persons organisation and a family health association that are in a good position to increase their focus on disability and sexuality.

 Pacific Data Hub

Savina Nongebatu, a disability inclusion and gender equality advocate in Solomon Islands and member of the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development advisory board, reflects on journey of the program. She shares what, in her view, have been the successes, challenges and work ahead to progress gender equality in the Pacific.
This interview was conducted as part of the production for the Pacific Women Legacy Video: https://youtu.be/NIXyH2L6BHA