A new 12-year plan to accelerate action for Pacific gender equality is top of the agenda for over 200 women from 21 countries and territories who are meeting in Lami this week.
The 13th Triennial conference of Women is the region’s biggest ever meeting of women.
After decades of commitments by governments, which produced less than hoped for results, women are keen to see more action.
While there has been significant progress for women in some areas in others women have gone backwards.
Women who earn an income are one-and-half times more likely to experience violence, than those who did not earn an income, this morning’s pre-conference consultations were told.
“That’s horrific,’ Kim Robertson, Advisor-Gender Statistics at the Pacific Community told the pre-conference consultation.
Poverty has become increasingly feminised according to Ms Robertson, with households-headed by women, widows, single mothers and other marginalised women more like to face hardship.
The first three days will see the Triennial Conference of Pacific Women consider a new plan to improve the effectiveness of government commitments to gender equality.
The plan known as the Pacific Platform for Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Human rights 2018-2030 (PPA) aims to accelerate efforts and provide concrete actions to deliver gender commitments of the region’s leaders.
The results of the Triennial’s deliberations will be put to Pacific Ministers for Women when they meet later this week.