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From: Pacific Women <shazia.usman at pacificwomen.org.fj>
Date: Wed, May 31, 2017 at 2:26 PM
Subject: Pacific Women Newsletter
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*Issue 12 - May 2017*


Delivered quarterly,* Pacific Women *E-News provides readers with
information and updates on Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=2c70e4c6d6&e=f35d9216c3>-
an Australian Government program focused on improving gender equality and
women's empowerment across the Pacific. Catch up on what you missed in the
last edition of* Pacific Women *E-News here
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=ab787c0c00&e=f35d9216c3>
.



*Femili PNG and Business Coalition for Women Form Partnership*


*L-R: Ms Lesieli Taviri, Business Coalition for Women Chairperson and Ms
Denga Ilave, Femili PNG Operations Manager, with the signed Memorandum of
Understanding. Photo: Femili PNG.*

Two *Pacific Women* partners in Papua New Guinea have formed a partnership
to address family and sexual violence in Lae. The Business Coalition for
Women (BCFW), which provides tools and resources for its member businesses
to help drive women’s participation and promotion within the private sector
as a good business strategy, will make the support services offered by
Femili PNG accessible to more working women and men in Lae. Services will
also be available to those employed by BCFW member companies. The
partnership, launched on 8 February with a Memorandum of Understanding,
envisions to increase the reach and scope of services offered by Femili PNG
to anyone affected by family and sexual violence in the Lae community.

Ms Lesieli Taviri, BCFW Chairperson and Origin Energy’s Chief Executive
Officer, and Ms Denga Illave, Femili PNG Operations Manager, both spoke
before signing the MOU.

*“More than a third of the BCFW’s member businesses are headquartered or
have operations in Lae, PNG’s very important industrial hub,”* said Ms
Taviri.

* “We are looking forward to this partnership, not only so we can support
business employees who are affected by family and sexual violence, but also
so that we can build support for our work among the private sector, to help
us to become a more financially sustainable NGO,”* said Ms Illave.

*Article excerpted from an extended version written by Femili PNG
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=4edc1899f8&e=f35d9216c3>.
*

*The BCFW was launched in 2014, in response to demand from the PNG private
sector, with the aim to help businesses create, share, and implement good
practices to drive women’s economic participation and to promote gender
equality as a smart business strategy in Papua New Guinea. For more about
BCFW visit their website
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=af09cbe8d2&e=f35d9216c3>.
*



*Tuvalu Celebrates International Women’s Day *


*Representatives from the Attorney General’s Office, People’s Lawyer, the
church, police and the Gender Affairs Department discuss the high rates of
violence against women during a talk back radio show on IWD. Photo: Gender
Affairs Department.*

Women make important contributions to the development of Tuvalu.

This was acknowledged by the Hon Enele Sopoaga, the Prime Minister of
Tuvalu, during his opening address on International Women Day’s (IWD), 8
March.

Speaking to fellow Cabinet Ministers, government officials, women leaders
from outer islands, NGOs, youth and representatives from the disability
community, Hon Sopoaga emphasised the need to look at women’s contributions
as beyond that of a caretaker. The countless efforts women make for their
country, he said, often remains *“unseen”* and is deemed *“informal*”.

Organised by the Gender Affairs Department (GAD) with support from the
Tuvalu National Council of Women, *Pacific Women* and the Pacific
Community’s Regional Rights Resource Team, the event was part of a series
of activities organised to mark the day around the theme, *Women in the
Changing World of Work*.

For their role in ensuring social and food security and contributions to
the economy, two women from each island were awarded the Women of the Year
Award, with $100 prize money, by the First Lady at the official opening.
This was followed by women leaders from the business sector, politics and
community sharing their stories of change and success on stage. To ensure
their stories reached a wide audience, the event was simulcast over the
radio.

GAD also organised a live radio talk back show with a free line for the
public to call and ask questions on domestic violence. Representatives from
the Attorney General’s Office, People’s Lawyer, the church, police and GAD
were part of the talk back show, discussing the high number of cases of
violence against women and answering questions from the public.

Of significance was the story of Ms Mine Pilikosi, President of *Fusi Alofa*,
an NGO for persons with disabilities, who shared her story as a woman
living with a disability in Tuvalu. She spoke of the challenge she faced in
accessing education and services but also used the platform to highlight
her achievements. The sharing of Ms Pilikosi's story was timely as a study
focusing on persons with disability is underway in Tuvalu. Supported under
the *Pacific Women* Tuvalu Country Plan, the study will collect information
about the experiences of persons with disabilities and their carers and
will include an examination of the barriers they face in their everyday
life - including physical, communication, attitudinal and institutional.

During the day, an information session promoting women’s entrepreneurship,
financial literacy and access to loans was delivered by the Tuvalu Business
Centre. The day’s program ended with a Night Market, where women could sell
their wares and get a free health check by a health team. This was welcomed
by women attending the event from outer islands who often face service
accessibility issues.

*Article prepared with support from Ms Natalie Makhoul and the
Tuvalu Gender Affairs Department. *



*Women in Fisheries Network–Fiji Hosts Key Stakeholders*


*A young woman (left) representing the district of Korolevuiwai shares
about her work at the forum. Photo: Women in Fisheries Network–Fiji. *

Women in Fisheries Network–Fiji (WiFNetwork–Fiji), in partnership with the
Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas Network, Fiji Ministry of Fisheries and
Forests and the Wildlife Conservation Society, held an information-sharing
forum for key stakeholders on 8 March 2017 in Suva.

The forum provided an opportunity for stakeholders, including
representatives from government, conservation practitioners, civil society
organisations and fishing communities to discuss the latest science,
management, development and policy work focused on women in the fisheries
sector. It was also an important space for networking between stakeholders
and practitioners to share innovative practices and forge partnerships to
help address issues faced by fisherwomen.

Women from the provinces of Ba, Nadroga, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Serua and
Tailevu attended the day-long forum and found discussions beneficial in
relation to better understanding the industry needs and priorities and
sharing about their work. Ms Koleta Marama, a participant at the forum from
Namosi said: *“women can be good agents of change in the community with the
drive towards sustainable development”.*

The forum was the first of its kind held by the WiFNetwork–Fiji. Ms Loata
Leweniqila, Coordinator of WiFNetwork–Fiji said the forum: “*highlighted
what gaps need to be addressed to better support women in the fisheries
sector. The way forward for the Network would include a baseline study on
women’s activity* [in the fisheries sector], *data needed for comparable
figures on studies that have been conducted, mapping to avoid duplication
of development work, legal education, storage for quality and business
innovation”.*

Presentations focused on gender and development, capacity building
initiatives, strategies for connecting women to seafood supply chains,
importance of collaboration for business, value chain analysis of *kai* and
mud crab fisheries and the impact of Cyclone Winston on women and industry.

Ms Margaret Fox of the Wildlife Conservation Society said: *“it is
important to understand the relationship between buyers, suppliers and *[the]
*range of market actors in between”,* adding that *“value chain analysis
helps you identify the constraints to industry growth and competitiveness,
and look for opportunities to upgrading the chain”.*

*Pacific Women* has supported WiFNetwork–Fiji since 2015 in building its
network and developing its strategic plan for the next four years.

*Article prepared with support from WiFNetwork–Fiji. *



*First Highlands Regional Women’s Forum*

*Dr Sharman Stone (middle), the Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls,
with participants of the Papua New Guinea Women's Forum. Photo: DFAT, PNG
Post. *

The first Highlands Regional Forum was held at the University of Goroka,
Papua New Guinea, on 7-8 February. This regional forum was held following
requests from women across the nation to extend the annual Women’s Forum
beyond Port Moresby.

Around 400 women and 100 men attended the Forum themed *Strongim Toktok
Bilong Yumi Wantaim *(Strengthening Our Voices Together). The first day
focused on leadership and politics with the aim of strengthening the ‘power
of our voices’. Discussions on the second day were focused on working
towards women’s economic empowerment.

The recently appointed Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls,
Dr Sharman Stone attended the Forum on her first international trip as
Ambassador. Dr Stone shared her experiences with Papua New Guinean women
leaders at the Forum, reaffirming Australia’s partnership with Papua New
Guinea to improve the lives of women and girls in the country.

The Women’s Forum has been an annual event since 2014 and is managed and
co-hosted by the United States Embassy and Tribal Foundation, working with
the Department for Community Development and Religion. Participants were
appreciative of the opportunity to have women in leadership roles across
the different spheres of government, public service, private sector,
community and churches, and men supportive of gender equality to meet,
network and learn from each other.

*Pacific Women* has supported the event for the past two years through
financial and logistical support. Other key sponsors in 2017 were
ExxonMobil and Oil Search Limited.



*Ra Naari Parishad – An Important Hub for the Women of Rakiraki*


*Members of the Sangeeta Women's Club - one of the small community women’s
clubs part of the Ra Naari Parishad membership. According to members, the
organisation has been instrumental in supporting them throughout the years.
Photo: Shazia Usman, Pacific Women Support Unit. *

*“It’s very important that we support those who are less privileged in our
communities to grow. We have many dreams for the people of Rakiraki and we
are working towards achieving them together.”*

These are the words of Ms Anand Pillay, the visionary President of the Ra
Naari Parishad, a local women’s community organisation, operating in
Rakiraki in Fiji since 1989.

Through the organisation, 10 families in Raravatu, a rural settlement in
Rakiraki, now have access to potable water.

*“The water supply there is now enough for household chores, gardening,
animals. A day after the opening, many from Raravatu called me and said
that they had water in their kitchens, washrooms, tanks were full, and
after many weeks they had a good shower. No more carrying of water from
distances,”* shared Ms Pillay. Ra Naari Parishad was supported by the
Australian Government’s Fiji Community Development Program (FCDP) to
undertake this project.

Recently the organisation also supported another settlement, Nauto near
Rakiraki town, with beekeeping training and supplying them with hives.

*“The closure of the sugar mill hit the farmers and the economy of Ra
pretty hard. In future bee farming could be one of the major income
generating activities here. One part of the Nauto settlement we supported
is doing very well as they were very fortunate their hives were not
destroyed during Cyclone Winston last year. They have had two harvests
since the training and the money they earn is supplementing their
livelihood. It’s so heartening to see women and men working together to
sustain themselves. There is so much difference in the women you can see
after the training. They used to stay at home before and not engage in
things outside but they now attend trainings, take part in meetings and
talk with visitors coming to their farm,”* shared Ms Pillay.

Another success story crediting the Ra Naari Parishad for being the
incubator of inspiration, is that of Ms Josephine Mani, who in 2006 went
from receiving training in beekeeping through the organisation’s support
with a group of women, to slowly and steadily building her own successful
business over the years, harvesting around 700kg of honey annually.

*“If I was alone, I would never have started this. I have learned a lot of
things being part of the organisation, like communication and networking. I
used to be at home before and if I wasn't part of Ra Naari Parishad I would
never met all the people I now know, especially all the business people
part of the Ra community.”*

Such is the power of local community-based organisations like the Ra Naari
Parishad in supporting the economic empowerment, leadership and involvement
of women in decision making.

In 2016, *Pacific Women* supported the organisation in setting up an
office. According to Ms Pillay, this support was very important for the
organisation to progress its work.

*“I’m proud that we have space of our own. The office also serves as an
information center for both women and men,”* she said. The office was
officially opened in 2016 by Senator the Hon Concetta Fierravanti-Wells,
Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, who was
joined by Hon Rosy Akbar, then Minister for Women, Children and Poverty
Alleviation.

Prior to having their own office, the organisation faced challenges in
holding meetings, mobilising women for events and trainings, writing
reports and storing information and data in a central and safe place.
Meetings were previously held at Ms Pillay’s residence.

The organisation has three fulltime staff and an executive management
board, which includes prominent members of Ra’s business and legal
community. Several small community women’s clubs are part of the Ra Naari
Parishad membership. According to members, the organisation has been
instrumental in supporting them throughout the years, whether it’s
providing information and conducting training or simply supporting them in
completing forms for grants.


*PNG Celebrates Successes at Annual Partner Workshop*


*Ms Eli Webb, Program Manager with the Center for International Private
Enterprise, shares at the three-day annual learning workshop. Photo: DFAT,
PNG Post. *

*Pacific Women* partners met in Port Moresby in May to reflect on progress
made towards gender equality over the last twelve months and to look at
research findings and experiences to improve ongoing efforts.

The three-day annual learning workshop attracted 116 participants and was
opened by Mr Bruce Davis, Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.
Keynote addresses were given by Ms Lesieli Taviri, Chief Executive Officer
of Origin Energy PNG Ltd and Chair of the Business Coalition for Women, and
Ms Barbara Thomas, the Executive Director of The Voice Inc., a youth
development organisation.

During the workshop, participants discussed research findings and ways to
promote women’s economic empowerment, prevent and respond to family and
sexual violence and support women to take on leadership roles. Presenters
came from organisations throughout Papua New Guinea, many working with
rural and remote communities, as well as Australian research institutions
and partners.

The workshop also provided an opportunity to learn from a range of partner
organisations - from working with men and with families to change
behaviours; to working in schools, to the work of churches in promoting
gender equality.

In his opening remarks, Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis stressed
the shared commitment of the Australian Government and Government of Papua
New Guinea to a strong and economically dynamic Papua New Guinea.

*“We know that greater equality is important to greater economic
development.  To unlock the potential of half the population, women and
girls need to be able to participate fully, freely and safely in political,
economic and social life,”* Mr Davis said.

The workshop provided an important opportunity to network, share stories
and gain useful information and to learn from each other.

Ms Mana Kakarouts, Acting Secretary Department of Community Development,
Autonomous Region of Bougainville said, *“The conference was very
informative and a learning experience for me. I found the idea of coalition
very useful for strengthening networks and sharing of information.”*

*“It is sometimes difficult to measure what it is that we’re doing,
especially if you’re trying something new. The workshop provided an
environment where we could learn from each other, share good practices and
lessons. This workshop will help our program grow and improve,” *said Ms
Mona Lonndem Endehipa, Program Manager for the Women’s Business Resource
Centre.

*“Being part of this workshop for the first time helped to put things into
the ‘big picture’, to see how other key partners are involved. The
facilitation was participatory (as one of five or seven men in the
workshop), I felt part of the discussion,*” said Mr Charles Iha, Program
Manager for the CARE Coffee Industry Support Project.


*Research on Menstrual Hygiene Management in Fiji*

There is increasing recognition that women and girls’ experiences of
menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices can negatively impact on their
health, education and psychosocial outcomes in low and middle-income
countries. Managing menstruation effectively and with dignity can be
challenging and may result in adverse consequences such as behavioural
restrictions, reduced school or work attendance, or shame and embarrassment.

New research in Fiji has determined that adolescent girls and women have
reasonably good access to education and information about menstruation and
its hygiene management, although gaps exist within some groups.

The research found while menstruation is not a strictly taboo topic of
discussion, the levels of secrecy and discretion vary according to
religious and cultural background and prevailing attitudes and beliefs. It
also determined that while the topic is part of the school curriculum,
teachers may feel ill-equipped discussing it, and require better training
to do so. Education and information on menstruation often also excludes
women and girls with disabilities.

Women working in informal workplaces, such as markets face greater
challenges in managing menstruation at work as they are often required to
share sanitation facilities with the public. In rural and remote
communities, poorer quality sanitary products are available and girls and
women with less access to money faced affordability challenges. Use of
re-usable cloths is common among older women and for girls in these areas.

This research is part of a three-country study underway in Fiji, Papua New
Guinea and Solomon Islands to explore the challenges experienced by women
and girls in managing their menstruation, and whether these challenges make
it hard for them to participate in school, work and engage with their
communities.

The Burnet Institute, WaterAid Australia and the International Women’s
Development Agency were commissioned by *Pacific Women* to undertake the
research. In Fiji, the team collaborated with the International Planned
Parenthood Federation and focused on two research sites: an urban setting
in Viti Levu (Suva) and a rural setting, in Vanua Levu (Cakaudrove
Province). Ninety-six people (50 women, 28 adolescent girls and 18 men)
participated in the study.

Research findings were presented to stakeholders at a workshop in Fiji in
March, with discussions on implementation of recommendations. Similar
research and workshops are planned for Papua New Guinea and Solomon
Islands. The full research will be available on *Pacific Women’s *website
soon. A copy of the literature review can be accessed here
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=be46919b23&e=f35d9216c3>
.




*Gender and Politics Panels: Bringing ‘Thinking and Working Politically’
and Gender Together *

*Pacific Women *and the Pacific Leadership Program (PLP) were among the
voices bringing a Pacific perspective to the Australasian Aid Conference,
held in Canberra in February.  The conference
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=c6e299a902&e=f35d9216c3>,
convened by the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National
University, aimed to *“bring together researchers from across Australia,
the Pacific, Asia and beyond who are working on aid and international
development policy to share insights, promote collaboration, and help
develop the research community." *The two-day conference, opened by the Hon
Julie Bishop, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, featured a number
of panels, presentations and critical plenary sessions.

For the first time the annual conference featured gender equality as one of
its focus areas. The Developmental Leadership Program (DLP), PLP and *Pacific
Women *jointly proposed two gender and politics panels, bringing together
the concept of ‘thinking and working politically’ and gender. The first
panel focused on primary research undertaken on the topic, while the second
explored the relationship between research and practice, drawing out some
of the successes, challenges and lessons learned. On this second panel, PLP
presented research on their experience in supporting developmental leaders
and coalitions pursuing gender equality outcomes in the Pacific. Mr Peni
Tawake, of PLP, along with Ms Rebecca Mclaren of DLP, presented case
studies from Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, showing how donors can play a
facilitative, rather than direct role in supporting coalitions. Their
research also found that coalitions do not have to be inclusive to be
effective, and that coalition membership need not be equal (Lisa Denney and
Rebecca McLaren, 2016).

*Pacific Women *shared markedly different partner approaches to
coalition-building. Ms Tara Chetty from the *Pacific Women *Support Unit
presented in collaboration with the We Rise Coalition, made up of Diverse
Voices in Action for Equality, femLINKpacific, the Fiji Women’s Rights
Movement and the International Women’s Development Agency. The We Rise
Coalition is an explicitly feminist partnership working across Fiji,
Australia and the Pacific, to build equal feminist partnerships among the
four convening organisations. For We Rise, the process and principles that
guide the Coalition are just as important as the outcomes of their work.
The two presentations were in conversation with each other, facilitating
rich discussion on coalitions and development in the Pacific. For
development practitioners and researchers outside the region, as Devpolicy
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=7e4743c768&e=f35d9216c3>
blogger Mr Rob Lamontagne put it, the two panels *"presented a fascinating
set of case studies that may help not just lead the way to better aid
practice, but better ways of understanding neighbour countries."*
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*femLINKpacific Launches Comic Publication on Women Leaders *

On International Women’s Day this year, Fiji-based feminist community media
NGO, femLINKpacific celebrated women leaders and launched the fourth
edition of “HeroWINS” – a locally produced comic book telling the stories
of women leaders and calling for all decision making spaces to be more
inclusive of women.

This edition focused on preparedness messages to support rural women
leaders as first responders during disasters and recovery, drawing largely
from the work femLINKpacific is doing with its women’s community media
network as part of its Women’s Weather Watch campaign. This network acts as
a conduit for communities and those who need to hear the reality of what is
happening on the ground during disasters.

The comic publication was launched by Australian High Commissioner, Her
Excellency Margaret Twomey. Ms Twomey shared her experience of visiting the
Ra Province after Cyclone Winston last year and witnessing women’s efforts
during recovery.

*“Many women said they were not really aware of what was happening before
the cyclone. There wasn’t much information reaching their remote rural
communities and only a few women were included in the village disaster
committees that met to discuss, plan and prepare for the cyclone. Despite
these barriers, women through their own networks, were actively sharing
what information they had. They looked after their families and ensured
that the elderly and people with disabilities were looked after, and were
often the last ones to leave for an evacuation centre.”*

She said the efforts needed to increase gender equality in disaster
preparedness, response and recovery are the same efforts needed in the
broader drive for greater equality.

A copy of the comic can be accessed femLINKpacific’s website
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=149d34eec9&e=f35d9216c3>
.

*Photo: femLINKpacific. *

*Upcoming Events*

*Regional Roadmap Nears Completion*

*Pacific Women* has developed a Roadmap to guide its future investments at
the regional and multi-country level. At the bilateral level, *Pacific
Women* investments are guided by country plans
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=97f9fc0d59&e=f35d9216c3>,
which have been developed in close consultation with local women and men,
civil society organisations and national governments.

The newly developed Roadmap will:

   - Highlight strategic regional and multi-country mechanisms and
   interventions that can help eliminate harmful social norms and accelerate
   the achievement of gender equality;
   - Identify priority action areas of work for *Pacific Women*;
   - Provide guidance on maintaining and expanding partnerships in the
   region; and
   - Identify selection criteria for new regional and multi-country
   investments.

The overarching Roadmap is based on three Synthesis Reports, which delved
deeper into *Pacific Women*’s first three intended outcomes: i) *leadership
and decision making,* ii) *women**’s economic empowerment*, and iii) *ending
violence against women*.

The Synthesis Reports and the Roadmap were developed through a combination
of literature review, stakeholder consultations, and in-depth analysis, and
supplement the foundational
*Pacific Women* Design Document
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=ef68441aaa&e=f35d9216c3>.
The
documents have already begun to guide *Pacific Women’s *work, with the *Pacific
Women *Support Unit now convening a quarterly roundtable on women’s
economic empowerment to follow up on relevant recommendations.

The Roadmap and Synthesis Reports have been finalised, and will be
available soon on *Pacific Women's* website.

For further information, please contact the *Pacific Women* Support Unit:
info at pacificwomen.org


*Kiribati: Women’s Economic Empowerment Feasibility Study*

*Pacific Women* is supporting a comprehensive study on women’s economic
empowerment in Kiribati. Commencing in June, the study will examine viable
economic empowerment options for women in the country; approaches to
prevent the double burden of care and work for women; and strategies to
respond to women’s perceived low income control and lack of decision making
autonomy within households. The study will inform future policy and
programming on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in Kiribati
and is expected to be completed by August.




*Latest Updates*

*Pacific Women Program Management Committee Discusses Progress*

*Pacific Women’s* Program Management Committee (PMC) held its third meeting
in Suva on 20 February.

The PMC oversees the governance and strategic direction of the program and
comprises the DFAT Management Team led by Ms Tracey Newbury, Program
Director based in Canberra, and Ms Suzanne Bent, Program Manager based at
the Australian High Commission in Suva. Members also include the Team
Leader and Deputy Team Leader of the *Pacific Women* Support Unit, a
representative of DFAT aid program staff from Pacific Posts and a member of
the *Pacific Women* Advisory Board. The DFAT Post and Advisory Board
representatives are nominated on a rotational basis.

Mrs Merilyn Tahi, the Coordinator of the Vanuatu Women’s Centre attended
the meeting as the Advisory Board’s nominee for 2017. She replaces Ms
Natalia Latu from the Ministry of Finance in Tonga.

Progress discussed by the PMC included: key regional program evaluations
and the Year 3 Program Evaluation of *Pacific Women*; developments in *Pacific
Women’s* Knowledge Management System; the country plan review process in
Cook Islands, Fiji, and Solomon Islands and upcoming reviews in Nauru
(which has since been completed in early May) and Papua New Guinea;
establishment of the *Pacific Women* Advisory Group on Research and
progress on the formulation of the program’s research strategy; and plans
for the development of new initiatives to support women's political
participation in the region.

The PMC meets twice a year and will reconvene in August/September.


*Pacific Women Advisory Group on Research Meet in Suva*

The* Pacific Women* Advisory Group on Research held its first meeting in
Suva from 26-28 April to review the program’s draft Research Strategy, the
Advisory Group’s Terms of Reference and discuss the proposed plan of
research activities to be implemented over the next 12 months.

The Research Strategy aims to support high quality, locally appropriate and
sustainable research that addresses and informs responses to gender
inequality in the Pacific region. Its intention is to identify a research
agenda for *Pacific Women *that informs program development and
implementation and which also contributes to a legacy of quality Pacific
research work, capacity, systems and partnerships that can be sustained
beyond the life of the program.

The role of the Advisory Group is to provide advice to DFAT on the
strategic direction of the *Pacific Women *research program; assess and
evaluate research priorities for *Pacific Women*; appraise research
projects and initiatives; facilitate strategic collaboration and
partnerships; and promote and support efforts towards better use of
research both in *Pacific Women’s* work and through influencing policy
decisions and practice at regional and national level.

As part of their role, the Advisory Group has identified short, medium and
long term research priorities informed by program implementation and key
direction setting documents such as *Pacific Women’s* Regional Roadmap, and
discussed the idea of a Pacific gender research portal to be explored in
the second half of 2017.

The group is made up of research specialists and practitioners: *Helen
Tanielu-Stowers* (National University of Samoa), *Professor Betty Lovai*
(University of Papua New Guinea), *Dr Claire Slatter* (University of the
South Pacific), *Associate Professor Yvonne Underhill-Sem* (University of
Auckland), *Associate Professor Nicole Haley* (Australia National
University), *Kim Robertson* (Pacific Community), *Meghan Cooper*
(International Women’s Development Agency), *Megan Chisolm* (CARE
International) and two individual researchers, *Dr Milika Sobey* and *Dr
Heidi Tyedmers*.


*Pacific Women Reviews MEL Framework *


*Participants at the inaugural review of Pacific Women's Monitoring,
Evaluation and Learning Framework. Photo: Shazia Usman, Pacific Women
Support Unit. *

In 2015, the *Pacific Women *Support Unit began designing and
operationalising a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) system for *Pacific
Women.* Key
components of the system include a: 1) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
(MEL) Framework; 2) Knowledge Management System (KMS) Database; 3)  M&E
panel, made up of fourteen M&E Specialists and nine M&E Practitioners; 4)
Data Collection Toolkit; and 5) *Pacific *Women annual and six-monthly
progress reporting.

To ensure the system remains relevant and useful, it undergoes a regular
review process. The inaugural review was held from the 10-12 May at the
Support Unit office in Fiji. The workshop brought together thirteen
implementing partners, Support Unit and DFAT staff, as well as seven
members from *Pacific Women’s *M&E and Gender panels. The workshop provided
a space for participants to reflect on *Pacific Women’s *M&E system, and
contribute recommendations based on their experience to increase the
usability of the system.

The Support Unit M&E Manager is now working to integrate all the workshop
recommendations to revise respective components of the M&E System. This
will not result in a radically different system, but one that is
strengthened based on program learning. Once finalised, this will be shared
with all partners and stakeholders.


*Nauru: Country Plan Review *

A review of the *Pacific Women *Nauru Country Plan was undertaken from 8-11
May. Nauru’s first country plan was implemented from 2014-2016 and focused
on improving the health sector response and services to reduce domestic
violence, increased access to justice and improved legislation and policy
environment for reducing domestic violence and increased leadership and
decision making opportunities for women.  The review was jointly undertaken
with UN Women and included representatives from DFAT and the *Pacific Women*
Support Unit. The review team held consultations with the government, civil
society and private sector. The new Country Plan 2017-2021 is expected to
be finalised by the end of June.


*Tonga: Women’s Economic Empowerment Program*

A design mission is underway for a three-year women’s economic empowerment
program for the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children (TNCWC).
Established by the Catholic Women’s League in 2000, TNCWC has operated
previously as a crisis support centre for women and children experiencing
domestic violence. Following an organisational strengthening review in
October 2015, TNCWC now plans to deliver services that focus on economic
empowerment for women survivors of violence. The design will be completed
by June and is supported by *Pacific Women*.


*Evaluation: Progressing Gender Equality Across the Pacific Region*

In late 2016, *Pacific Women *and the Pacific Community (SPC) commissioned
a joint mid-term evaluation of SPC's Progressing Gender Equality in the
Pacific (PGEP) Project. This project, valued at $3.8 million works across
14 countries and is funded through *Pacific Women’s *regional program. PGEP
is a five-year project that works with Pacific Island Governments to 1)
strengthen governments’ capacity to mainstream gender; and 2) improve
gender statistics to better monitor progress towards gender equality.

The evaluation found that the PGEP project remains highly relevant, and
that SPC remains the best placed organisation to deliver this project given
its technical capacity and networks in the region and in Pacific Island
Countries and Territories (PICTs). The evaluation also concluded that PGEP
is achieving positive and demonstrable gains in gender mainstreaming and
gender statistics in seven countries; and in a further three countries
where assistance has been more sporadic. All PICTs interviewed provided
overwhelmingly positive feedback about the type of assistance provided
through PGEP. Comments centered on the level of the team’s technical
expertise in gender mainstreaming and gender statistics, as well as their
‘partnership’ approach to working with countries.
A primary learning from the evaluation was that with only four SPC project
staff having responsibility for supporting gender mainstreaming and gender
statistics, to maximise effectiveness, it is critical that planned
activities are not only leveraged with existing opportunities in country,
but are also coordinated with other partners as much as possible. The
evaluation identified that a comprehensive, practical and coordinated focus
in the next phase of PGEP was critical to embed progress and overcome
challenges surrounding gender mainstreaming.

The full evaluation report including the management response can be
accessed here
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=098eaad14b&e=f35d9216c3>
.


*PNG National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to GBV (2016-2025)*



















Papua New Guinea’s National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender Based
Violence (2016-2025) was officially launched on Papua New Guinea’s National
Women’s Day, 24 March.

This is a welcome step in addressing gender-based violence issues in Papua
New Guinea. *Pacific Women* is pleased to have supported the development of
the strategy and commends the Government of Papua New Guinea in taking
steps to reduce and prevent gender-based violence in accordance with Papua
New Guinea’s Vision 2050 (the country’s 40-year national development
strategy launched in 2010).

The Strategy aims to enhance and support policies and laws already in
place. It takes a comprehensive approach to preventing and responding to
gender based violence sanctioning governance arrangements as well as policy
and regulatory frameworks, finance and planning for national interventions.
The Strategy calls for the collection, analysis and use of data and
research to enhance gender-based violence prevention and response efforts
and advocacy to reduce gender-based violence at all levels.

*Pacific Women *will continue working with the Department for Community
Development and Religion to support the implementation of the Strategy.




*My Walk to Equality *

*My Walk to Equality* is an anthology of essays, stories and poetry written
by Papua New Guinean women capturing their everyday struggles and triumphs.
A first of its kind for Papua New Guinea, the book was launched on
International Women’s Day, in Port Moresby and Brisbane.

Edited by Rashmii Amoah Bell and published by Pukpuk Publications, *My Walk
to Equality *contributes to the development of national literature and the
documentation of women’s voices and experience as an integral element of
Papua New Guinea’s national identity.

To support wide readership, the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby
has purchased 2,000 copies of *My Walk to Equality. *With support from
the *Pacific
Women* Support Unit, the books are being distributed to government
departments and agencies, libraries, universities as well as women’s groups
and non-government organisations. Copies are available for purchase on
Amazon
<http://pacificwomen.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=78c103e9b7043e7f0bea624eb&id=352daf7bcb&e=f35d9216c3>
.


*Copyright © 2017 Commonwealth of Australia, All rights reserved.*
*Pacific Women Support Unit address:*
Level 6 Tappoo City - Usher Street Entrance
Suva, Fiji


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