|
Through a 10-year committment, Pacific Women connects more than 170 gender equality initiatives supported by Australia and implemented by over 160 partners across 14 Pacific Island countries.
|
|
|
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has initiated the co-design of a new regional gender equality program, building on the current Pacific Women program with an emphasis on women in the Pacific driving the new program.
|
|
Consultations with women and men in the Pacific region are underway, with people encouraged to express their interest in participating in consultations by completing this form by midday (Fiji time) 30 November 2020.
|
|
News about Pacific Women supported initiatives
|
|
|
Orange Day in Marshall Islands to stop violence against women and girls
|
|
|
Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI) believe greater action is needed to intensify and strengthen partnerships to better address the issue of sexual violence and harassment. This was highlighted by WUTMI’s Executive Director, Daisy Alik-Momotaro at the Orange Day march through the streets of Majuro, the capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Read more.
|
|
|
|
FI-E-FI-A ’a Fafine Tonga sign MoU for gender equality and empowerment of women
|
|
Local civil society groups in Tonga have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), affirming solidarity in supporting government commitments to gender equality and the participation and empowerment of women and girls. Read more.
The MoU includes FI-E-FI-A ’a Fafine Tonga (FFFT),
|
|
|
|
formerly known as the Women in Leadership Coalition. It was renamed to reflect members’ solidarity in promoting the active participation of women and girls in all levels and areas of political, economic, cultural, private and public life. FFFT is receiving facilitation and other support through Balance of Power, funded by Australia through Pacific Women.
|
|
|
19 Graduate Economic Empowerment Training
|
|
|
Nineteen women in Tonga started a new phase of their life journey as they graduated from a 23-week economic empowerment training. Surrounded by friends and family, they received certificates of completion and a pack of start-up resources from the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children (TNCWC). Read more.
Several TNCWC projects including its economic empowerment training and gender-based violence counselling is supported by Australia through Pacific Women.
|
|
|
Landmark case highlights marital rape as crime
|
|
|
‘This case is significant because now women know that marital rape is a crime and that they have the right to say “no”,’ says Fitilagi Fa’anunu, Director of the Family Protection Legal Aid Centre. The Family Protection Legal Aid Centre is supported by Pacific Women through the Pacific Community (SPC).
Ms Fa’anunu was referring to a recent case which resulted in Lord Chief Justice M.H. Whitten QC sentencing a man to five years in jail for raping and beating his wife. This landmark case’s ruling sends a clear message that unwanted sexual violence cannot be justified or tolerated. Read more.
|
|
|
This is the same thing my Pacific sisters are going through!
|
|
‘Wait a minute! We’re not alone here!’
‘This is the same thing that my Pacific sisters are going through!’ Nauru’s Greta Harris realised during her Women’s Leadership Initiative experience. Ms Harris was one of 34 selected Australia Awards scholars from 10 Pacific Island countries participating in a round of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI), supported by Australia through Pacific Women. Read more.
|
|
|
|
Building family and community support for women’s health
|
|
Nancy John is a community leader in Papua New Guinea championing women’s sexual and reproductive rights and challenging negative attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls in her community. Read more.
She is using the knowledge, skills and confidence gained through the Mamayo
|
|
|
|
project, a maternal and reproductive health initiative led by CARE International in partnership with the Australian Government through its Pacific Women and Gender Equality Fund initiatives, and the Government of Papua New Guinea. Find out more about the Mamayo project.
|
|
|
Building family and community support for women’s health
|
|
Two agricultural projects in Papua New Guinea are successfully taking a family-based approach to improve gender equality.
Family-based farming approaches build families’ economic security, business management and crop farming skills. At the same time, participants develop
|
|
|
|
a new appreciation of women’s workloads and the value of shared work. The projects are demonstrating how working with women and men farmers in their family units can improve economic outcomes and bring a better balance to decision making in homes. Read more.
|
|
Annual Fiji Reflection and Learning Workshop
|
|
|
New ways of doing business in Fiji for initiatives encouraging gender-equal approaches
|
|
|
Small and micro entrepreneurs, civil society actors, regional partners, government, faith-based and women’s groups came together to share challenges and different ways of doing business in response to the dual crises of COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold. The two-day Fiji Reflection and Learning Workshopattracted people from almost 40 initiatives supported by the Australian Government through funding from Fiji Women’s Fund and Pacific Women. Read more.
|
|
|
Women’s groups lead response to COVID-19 crisis
|
|
|
Ensuring no one is left behind remains a priority with the COVID-19 response and early recovery efforts. ‘As people with disabilities, the most critical thing was our safety and protection,‘ said Lanieta Tuimabu, Office Manager of the Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation. Ms Tuimabu was one of four panellists discussing
|
|
|
|
the impacts and challenges arising from the COVID-19 response and early recovery, at the Fiji Reflection and Learning Workshop held in Suva from 19–20 October. Read more.
|
|
|
Women handicraft and market entrepreneurs focus on locals
|
|
|
Women’s markets provide an opportunity for micro-entrepreneurs to sell their wares, share best practices and network during this COVID-19 response period. Eseta Nadakuitavuki, Chair of the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC), highlighted this during the WEBC women’s market. It was held as a part of the annual Fiji Reflection and Learning Workshop in partnership with Pacific Women and the Fiji Women’s Fund. Read more.
|
|
Pacific Girl: Pacific girls' and COVID-19
|
|
|
Injecting the voices of adolescent girls’ into the COVID-19 pandemic response
|
|
No school, no sanitary pads and no catching up with friends can be pretty tough for an adolescent girl.
For COVID-19 responses to have a positive outcome for adolescent girls in the Pacific, it is essential to listen to their experiences and opinions and include their perspectives in response and early recovery
|
|
|
|
planning. This was at the core of last month’s webinar attended by online participants and Facebook Live viewers. Read more.
The Pacific Girl webinar on adolescent girls and COVID-19 explored the impacts of the pandemic on adolescent girls in the region and the importance of listening to girls and young women in order to develop effective COVID-19 responses.The webinar featured three panellists from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia along with special pre-recorded messages from prominent women in the region and the new Pacific Girl video featuring messages of solidarity and encouragement from adolescent girls around the region.
|
|
|
A Pacific Girl program by Pacific girls
|
|
|
Ahead of the webinar, Pacific Women reflected on its dedicated, multi-country Pacific Girl program to support adolescent girls to reach their full potential. Pacific Girl addresses priority issues identified through consultations with more than 200 adolescent girls, including sexual and reproductive rights, access to education, cyber safety, climate change and freedom from violence. Read more.
|
|
|
New members, co-chairs for Pacific Women Advisory Board
|
|
In August, the four new members of the Advisory Board were announced.
The new members supporting one of the largest global commitments to gender equality are: Virisila Buadromo, Fiji; Dr Fiona Hukula, Papua New Guinea; Dr Mercy Ah Sui-Maliko, Samoa; and Ethel Sigimanu, Solomon Islands. Read more.
|
|
|
|
In October, the Advisory Board welcomed new co-chairs.Virisila Buadromo and Danielle Heinecke replaced former co-chairs, Natalia Palu Latu and Kathy Klugman. Read more.
|
|
Opportunities with Pacific Women
|
|
The role of Pacific Women Grants Officer has been advertised. The Grants Officer will assess, monitor and build the governance capacity of Pacific Women’s grant partner organisations; and meet the Support Unit’s internal grant administrative functions.
The Grants Officer will be the key focal point for the Support Unit team on grant administration matters relating to grant implementation and overall grant management for a portfolio of 35 grants. Find out more.
Applications must be submitted by 6 December 2020.
|
|
|
Fiji Women’s Fund: 2020–2021 Grant Call
|
|
The Fund invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) from women’s groups, networks and organisations in Fiji for its 2020–2021 Call for Funding. Find out more.
Submissions must be made by 3 January 2021.
|
|
20 Days of Human Rights Activism (Papua New Guinea)
20 November–10 December 2020
|
|
World Children's Day
20 November 2020
|
|
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
25 November–10 December 2020
|
|
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
25 November 2020
|
|
International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
29 November 2020
|
|
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
3 December 2020
|
|
Human Rights Day and the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
10 December 2020
|
|
|
Share the news with your friends!
|
|
|
|
|
|
