Pacific Women connects more than 170 gender equality initiatives supported by Australia and implemented by over 160 partners across 14 Pacific Island countries.
Watch our video: https://youtu.be/LDfqfSUInqA
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News about Pacific Women supported initiatives
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New COVID-19 video animations about the safety of women and children
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In a first for the Pacific, several country-specific video animations are addressing the safety of women and children in their homes, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic where the incidence of family violence has intensified.
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The animation is available in five versions: Pacific region; Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM); Nauru; Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI); and Tuvalu. It addresses domestic and family violence which typically increases during a crisis such as COVID-19. Read more.
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Telephone counselling exchange across 3 countries
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A learning exchange for counsellors and caseworkers from Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu was convened by the Support Unit in collaboration with Australian High Commissions in the three countries.
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The exchange builds on the existing knowledge and skills of counsellors and caseworkers to provide safe and quality counselling to survivors of violence, including remote crisis support. Read more.
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From the Balance of Power:
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Photographs presented to 40 ni-Vanuatu women
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The Public Service Commission presented 40 ni-Vanuatu women with their photographs narrating their achievements as women leaders in the public service. The photos are from the ‘Celebrating women in public service’ collection, developed by the Department of Women’s Affairs under the Vanuatu Ministry of Justice and Community Services in partnership with Sista magazine to mark Vanuatu’s 40 years of Independence.
It was supported by the Australian Government funded Balance of Power, an initiative of Pacific Women. Read more.
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From the Fiji Women's Fund:
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Grant Call update in February
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From the Fiji Women's Fund, their 2020-2021 Grants Call has now closed and successful applicants will be contacted by the end of February 2021.
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Pacific Girl Factsheet is now available
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The Pacific Girl’s new factsheet provides a snapshot of the program, which is ‘designed by girls for girls’ reaching 9,000 adolescents across 6 countries.
The factsheet also highlights recent activities by Pacific Girl partners to support the specific needs of adolescent girls as they feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
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International Day of Persons with Disabilities
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For International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pacific Women released a range of stories highlighting the important work of partners.
This included a Pacific Girl program video featuring Clera Tegu.
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Clera is one of the many girls in the Solomon Islands who are being supported to develop their confidence, skills, and knowledge through the Girls Rise Up! project. She is a person who is deaf and now has a voice through sign language to advocate for other girls with disabilities, as a result of opportunities provided by Girls Rise Up! The project is led by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in partnership with CARE International, supported by Australia through the Pacific Girl program, managed by Pacific Women. Read more.
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A second video featuring the Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation highlighted the importance of including people with disabilities in COVID-19 response and recovery. Read more.
Pacific Women also used the day to reflect on its renewed commitment to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) with the public release of the Support Unit’s Disability Inclusion Practice Note. Read More.
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16 Days of Activism
Against Gender-Based Violence
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The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign. It starts on 25 November with International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence and runs to 10 December, Human Right Days.
Pacific Women partners led and participated in a range of activities marking the 16 Days of Activism. Here are some highlights:
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In the Federated States of Micronesia
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The President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), H.E. David W. Panuelo, made a formal proclamation during 16 Days, recognising FSM’s participation in International Day of Persons with Disabilities. ‘I call upon each and every one of you to take action and equal responsibility to dismantle the physical, social, and cultural barriers that exclude persons with disabilities from equitable participation in our democracy,’ he said.
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Pacific Women proudly supported these and other 16 Days activities in FSM, including two youth-led dialogues on violence against women through Youth 4 Change and the Chuuk Youth Council.
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Pacific Women supports FSM civil society and government partners to improve gender equality and social inclusion. This includes dedicated technical support by Pacific Women Family Protection Adviser, Sonali Owen, working remotely with the Department of Health and Social Affairs.
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The Prime Minister, the Honourable Voreqe Bainimarama, launched national consultations to produce the first National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls. This work is supported by a
Secretariat comprising the
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Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, UN Women and the Fiji NAP Technical Working Group. Read more.
At the launch, Prime Minister Bainimarama said: ‘girls, boys, and indeed every Fijian, must see women as leaders, as decision-makers, as movers and shakers in society. That begins with securing equality of opportunity for every Fijian.’ Watch the video.
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The Australian High Commission in partnership with Pacific Women hosted a High-Tea event to celebrate the work of women leaders working tirelessly to end violence against women and girls.
Several partners are members of the NGO Coalition for Human Rights, which led a march in Suva to mark International Human Rights Day at the end of the 16 Days campaign.
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The Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre (KWCSC) hosted several activities including a Walk In Her Shoes walkathon and a Reclaim the Night march, for which the majority of participants were men. The Ministry of Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs involved rural
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villages in 16 Days activities, through its Strengthening Peaceful Villages project in partnership with UN Women, government and civil society partners.
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The Australian High Commission provided support for banners and other promotional material for events including the 16 Days opening march.
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The Department of Women and Social Development marked the International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence with a Walk for Life and breakfast, in partnership with the Australian High Commission.
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The breakfast event also provided an opportunity to launch the national COVID-19 video animation addressing domestic and family violence.
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The national theme for the country’s commemoration of the 20 Days of Human Rights Activism was ‘Educate a child to change Papua New Guinea: Start Now! Start at Home!’. Universal Children's Day marked the start of the 20 Days.
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The day was celebrated by the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation in Bougainville and Equal Playing Field in National Capital District, supporting student-led events in primary schools to promote children’s rights, respectful relationships and freedom from violence. Femili PNG celebrated with students and their families in Morobe Province, calling on parents to protect and invest in their children, and to help guide them in achieving their dreams. More than 300 people convened in Alotau and participated in a youth-led event hosted by UN Women.
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Women Human Rights Defenders and local government were joined by the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation at a community event in Bougainville to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Gender Based Violence.
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The Nazareth Centre’s Advocacy Coordinator, Agnes Titus, gave an address stating ‘there is no place for domestic violence in the home’ and encouraged the community crowd to ‘share this important message so that we can hold hands together to lower the cases of violence’. The Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation also hosted an event on Human Rights Day.
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Femili PNG announced its partnership with the Kokoda Track Foundation on the new Project Zero initiative, working to foster a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude towards gender-based violence. Femili PNG also joined its local community's International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrations and provided disability-inclusive information for family and sexual violence support services.
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The Business Coalition for Women and Bel isi PNG held a panel discussion on the role of men in addressing family and sexual violence.
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The Australian High Commission hosted a staff event to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Gender Based Violence. Pacific Women Advisory Board member Dr. Fiona Hukula delivered the keynote address and her work as a women's right advocate and academic was profiled on social media by the High Commission.
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In the Republic of the Marshall Islands
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Women United Together In Marshall Islands (WUTMI) held an Orange Day and joined Urok Club in sponsoring a gender-equality fishing tournament. The activities were supported under WUTMI's Weto In Mour (A Place of Life): Violence Against Women and Girls Support Service, funded by Pacific Women.
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It is RMI's first and only support service for survivors of violence against women. The counselling service continues to increase awareness about violence against women and to improve the referral network and services provided to survivors.
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A National Human Rights Institution pilot project, funded by the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls, will support six villages in Samoa to establish village Family Safety Committees to assist village Fono and churches with ongoing family violence prevention initiatives.
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A National Disability Week was launched by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development. The Australian High Commission in Samoa shared a social media message with an e-postcard.
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The Australian High Commission participated in the 16 Days Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) radio launch event.
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Tonga National Centre for Women and Children (TNCWC) held a White Ribbon Day to start the 16 Days of Activism along with a prayer breakfast in Vava’u. The Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) increased its reach to outer islands during the 16 Days with male advocacy training
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in Ha’apai plus mobile counselling clinics, which also extended to ‘Eua. WCCC also worked with 9 organisations who support people with disabilities to develop the first referral pathway connecting them, along with referral forms.
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The Gender Affairs Department began its 16 Days campaign with a White Ribbon Day peace march in Funafuti. A media campaign featuring senior government officials, civil society and youth leaders ran throughout the 16 Days on national television and radio.
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This included the Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Attorney General, Eselealofa Apinelu, Minister of Health, Social Welfare and Gender Affairs, Isaia Taape.
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The 16 Days wrapped up with the first Traditional Leaders Forum focusing on violence against women and girls. More than 40 leaders discussed a range of issues including establishing safehouses in the outer islands.
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Australia’s technical and funding support to government through Pacific Women assisted the Gender Affairs Department with the coordination of the 16 Days activities.
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The reports are called: ‘Violence Against Women and Girls in Vanuatu: The Effectiveness of Outreach and Prevention Strategies’ and ‘Vanuatu’s 2020 Humanitarian Emergencies and Women’s Experiences: Responses by the Vanuatu Women’s Centre.’
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CARE Vanuatu partnered with Sista for the 16 Days campaign ‘Rispek hemi honorabol’. Among those featured include Jennifer Kalpokas, Balance of Power; Litiana Kalsrap, youngest candidate in 2020 General Elections; and President Tallis Obed Moses.
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Updates from the Design Team
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Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has initiated the co-design of a new regional gender equality program, building on Pacific Women with an emphasis on women in the Pacific driving the new program.
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In addition to consultations, the Design Team is also seeking inputs from multiple sources including the Pacific Women Six-Year Evaluation Report, now available on DFAT’s website along with a management response. Refer to DFAT’s Design Team for details.
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International Day of Women and Girls in Science
11 February 2021
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World Radio Day
13 February 2021
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World Day of Social Justice
20 February 2021
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World NGO Day
27 February 2021
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International Women's Day
8 March 2021
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