Forum outcomes cover environment, security and gender

Meeting in Cook Islands, Pacific Islands Forum leaders confirmed former President of Nauru Baron Waqa as the next Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat, taking over from Henry Puna in 2024. A major focus of the

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Samoa at PIF2022: on gender and geopolitics

Samoa’s Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is attending her first Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting as Prime Minister in Suva this week. As leaders gather for their retreat today, Islands Business contributor, Sera

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Australia’s investment in gender equity

The newly appointed Australian Ambassador for women and girls, Christine Clarke, has marked her debut press conference with a strong message against gender-based

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Listen to the women

The unheard voices at every COP meeting By Netani Rika Across the world, advocates press for the voices of women to be heard at COP26 in Edinburgh, Scotland. For after decades of talks on climate change and despite the

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We Say: Culture cannot excuse violence

When news emerged of 20-year-old Jenelyn Kennedy’s death in Port Moresby in late June, Papua New Guineans and people across the region were horrified. Jenelyn’s youth, the horrific circumstances in which she

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What will stop the violence?

TWO huge programmes focused on the empowerment and protection of Pacific women and children costing more than USD70 million have been launched over the past couple of months, prompting calls from

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Feminist reflections on the Australian Aid Conference

ARE researchers from across Australia, the Pacific, Asia and beyond working on aid and development policymaking largely white and male? That was my first impression when I saw other registered participants at the two

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Feminist reflections on the Australian Aid Conference

ARE researchers from across Australia, the Pacific, Asia and beyond working on aid and development policymaking largely white and male? That was my first impression when I saw other registered participants at the two

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What will stop the violence?

TWO huge programmes focused on the empowerment and protection of Pacific women and children costing more than USD70 million have been launched over the past couple of months, prompting calls from

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Violence Against Women in the Pacific

In the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW), violence against women is defined as any act of gender based violence that “results in, or is likely to result in, physical,

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Empowering Pacific rural women

47-year old Emily Qilarisa lives in Sepa, a remote village of around 240 residents in Choiseul Province in the northern most part of Solomon Islands. For the people in her community, the adverse impacts of climate

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Remove military presence, asks Fiji NGO Coalition

THE Fiji NGO Coalition on CEDAW has said as Fiji moves towards another election, it must show that a robust constitutional democracy has replaced all vestiges of authoritarian rule. In their written submission to CEDAW,

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Rise in sex crimes in Fiji

THE number of sexual violence reports in general and particularly against children in Fiji has skyrocketed, according to statistics released by the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office. This year

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Fiji lacks data

 FIJI lacks the data to drive and inform policy-making, a challenge that was identified during the four-day 13 Triennial Conference of Pacific Women at Novotel, in Lami. Minister for Women, Children and Poverty

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Vendor’s hardship and success

APPROXIMATELY 80per cent of all market vendors in the Pacific are women, and these earnings make up a significant portion of incomes of many poor households. In spite of their contribution to the local economy and to

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Women progress slow

THERE is a staggering imbalances in the Pacific economies between women and men which clearly reflects why progressing gender equality has been slow, more so this year which is critical to the Pacific’s sustainable

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WOMEN’S economic empowerment in the Pacific Islands region remains a key challenge

WOMEN’S economic empowerment in the Pacific Islands region remains a key challenge, as women continue to experience limited job opportunities, remain under-represented in management positions and face weak employment

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Hundreds of women give gender equality a big push

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

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Pacific Feminists Rise to the Occasion

From the 2nd of October, representatives of Pacific Island states and territories will converge in Fiji for the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and 6th Meeting of the Pacific Ministers for Women (Triennial)

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Family security under scrutiny

“IF your family is hungry, if there is no food in the kitchen, there will be a problem.” These were the words Anitelu Toe’api, publi relations and communications officer for the Civil Society Forum of Tonga. “If

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Gender equity is good business

TACKLING the glass ceiling, equal pay for equal work. Just some of the women’s rights movement mantras advocating that gender equity and equality can generate a successful and productive workforce. The reality,

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Gender equity is good business

TACKLING the glass ceiling, equal pay for equal work. Just some of the women’s rights movement mantras advocating that gender equity and equality can generate a successful and productive workforce. The reality,

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Stop the bias

Shameem: Comprehensive training will assist judges, magistrates to eliminate or minimise male bias A PACIFIC-WIDE robust policy was necessary to eliminate or minimise not only gender prejudice but all forms of

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Gulf in women, men wages

UN HDI Report reveals status of gender disparities in Pacific PACIFIC island nations still have a lot of work to do in order to bridge the gulf in the disparities in wages between men and women workers, a new United

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