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 Issue 6 -  August 2020

The Fiji Women’s Fund (the Fund) is an initiative of the Australian Government’s Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) Program. The Fund has committed AU$10.5 million from 2017 to 2022 for funding and capacity development support to women’s groups, networks, and organisations in Fiji to expand and enhance their work on women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Partnerships, recovery & looking forward 

Dear Readers, in this month's edition, we continue to highlight some of the on-going struggles and triumphs of our grantee partners and their beneficiaries who have been severely impacted by the global pandemic (COVID-19) and Tropical Cyclone Harold.  We salute these real life humanitarians who continue to go above and beyond to help their fellow citizens through these difficult times.

Also in this month's edition, read about the independent Mid Term Review of the Fund which highlights some of the key findings and successes so far.  We have also started our first steps toward localisation as an independent entity - read our latest blog on this exciting journey.

Transcend Oceania helps build trauma-informed communities 

With Fijian communities still reeling from the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Harold and COVID-19, Transcend Oceania is working to provide psycho-social support to women and communities coping with trauma.  

Traumatic experiences faced by people who have lost loved ones and witnessed damage to their homes and sources of livelihoods can have lasting effects on individual wellbeing and community resilience, leaving them more vulnerable, non-productive and dependent. READ MORE

Fiji’s disability sector learning to cope with the new normal

In Fiji, the impact of COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold brought unprecedented challenges to Fiji’s disabled citizens who represent 13.7% of Fiji’s population.

Josko Wakaniyasi, President of the Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation (FDPF) says that March – June had been especially hard on the Federation and its affiliates: Fiji Association for the Deaf, United Blind Persons of Fiji, Spinal Injuries Association, and Fiji Psychiatric Survivors Association.  READ MORE

“Women and Girls in a Time of Crisis”- WOW Global 24 Film Festival

On the weekend of June 27-28, the Fund along with grantee partner the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and sister fund, Urgent Action Fund Asia & the Pacific, participated in the WOW Global 24, a free 24-hour online WOW Festival uniting women and girls across the world! The festival analysed the issues, explored solutions, spotlighted what is already being done, and heard from women, girls and people of all genders who are working towards a better, post Covid-19 world. Click HERE to watch the Fund's video.
Psychiatric Survivors Association pilots new livelihoods programme for members

Gardening can be very therapeutic. It promotes physical activity, food security and healthy eating but most importantly, it will be a way for members to reduce stress, anxiety and their reliance on medication.”

The Psychiatric Survivors Association started its new livelihoods program using gardening as way to support its members, especially for those who were finding it difficult to cope with the global pandemic.  READ MORE
Towards localisation as an independent Fund: a transition of the heart, mind, body and soul
 
The Fiji Women's Fund is transitioning to becoming an independent entity under Fiji’s Charitable Trust Act.  With the support of Netherlands-based Mama Cash Solidarity Fund and the Australian Government, we have begun consultations with a range of stakeholders, our Steering and Grants Committee, Fund Team andgrantee partners to seek their input into what the Fund’s Trust Deed would contain.

Fund Manager Michelle Reddy shares some of the reasons why independence and local ownership by the Fiji women's movement is a critical component of being a women's fund. READ MORE

Review finds the Fiji Women’s Fund is a credible vehicle to facilitate support towards the women’s movement

A Mid Term Review (MTR) commissioned by the Fiji Women’s Fund in November 2019 has confirmed the continued relevance of the Fund’s overall strategic intent and purpose.

The MTR reports that the Fund was able to balance the requirements of being an Australian Government funded initiative whilst also maintaining flexibility to advocate and support a range of projects and interventions relevant to women’s organisations. The report also noted that the Fund had established its place as a credible vehicle to facilitate support towards women’s movements and that it had developed an collaborative approach to working with partners rather than a hierarchical relationship. READ MORE

Glorious and heartbreaking moments: musings of a Fijian community
development advocate

There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get witnessing what women can do when given the support that they define for themselves, especially for rural and remote women’s groups. Seeing the excitement on the faces of the members of the Naitasiri Women in Dairy Group when they harvested their first batch of oyster mushrooms or hearing the inspiring stories of Delailasakau Women’s Group who had to cross a river in the wee hours of the morning and travel from the interior of Fiji just to attend our grants information sessions.

Program Officer Kuini Rabo shares her experience of working towards progressing the rights of women, girls and gender non-conforming people in Fiji.  READ MORE
Eseta Nadakuitavuki - Chair of the Women Entrepreneurs & Business Council (WEBC) shares some of the challenges her members have faced in the past five months due to COVID-19.  WEBC is conducting national surveys with ILO and will be developing plans to revitalise the economy whilst also helping members to diversify into new markets and products and to develop business continuity plans that will ensure that their businesses are able to bounce more back quickly after a disaster or crisis. Click on the image to play the video
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Copyright © 2019 Fiji Women's Fund, All rights reserved.

Fiji Women's Fund
Level 3, Kaunikuila House, Sun Insurance Building,
Laucala Bay Road, Flagstaff Suva, Fiji 
Email: information@womensfund.org.fj   Phone: +679 331 4410

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