Page 16 - Islands Business September 2023

C L I M A T E F I N A N C E :

P A R A M E T R I C I N S U R A N C E I N V A N U A T U

A big VINAKA VAKALEVU (thanks) to Vanuatu Young Women For
Change, Anne Pakoa and the diverse rural women leaders and first
respondents of Vanuatu for opening up your space and affirming our
feminist media work in Fiji and in the region.

We held our first Climate Finance awareness session in Vanuatu with
almost 50 diverse rural women leaders from communities around
Port Villa.

There was an emphasis of discussion on disaster preparedness, violence against women and girls, information
access and sharing climate finance information that the grassroots and low income earners should understand
in order to help in their disaster responses and recovery. We acknowledge the space where there were lots of
sharing especially post COVID and their genuine gratitude to a space where they can connect and learn each
other's work and of course our feminist media work and it's important role in amplifying their voices towards
influence and advocacy towards change. There were lots of discussion and joy we all shared.

We all look forward to a much strengthened regional relationship building and networking that is needed in
connecting all our feminist and social movement building work.
Vinaka VanCare Insurance Limited for your attendance and useful information session to support climate
finance access to our rural communities.
Acknowledging UN Capital Development Fund for this collaboration work with femLINKpacific and seeing the
value and significance of diverse rural women in accessing climate insurance and helping build stronger
community resilience in the face of climate crises.

F E M L I N K P A C I F I C A T W O M E N D E L I V E R - O C E A N I A

The 2 days Women Deliver Oceania conference took place in
Melbourne that convened around 300 participants that
included Oceanic representatives. This was a build up from
the Pacific Feminist Forum we had in Fiji.
Panels during the sessions included a few prominent and
fierce women in leadership including Fiji's former Minister
for Women and Poverty and now the SPC's Principal
Strategic Lead, Ms Mereseini Rakuita and Ambassador for
Gender Equality (Pacific) Louisa Wall.
On gender mainstreaming, Ms Rakuita shared that we have
great global commitments however when it comes down to
resourcing at national level, there is no budget to properly Maria together with our We Rise partners being hosted by the IWDA
resource violence against women work and responses. team in their Melbourne office
Ambassador Wall spoke strongly on dismantling colonialism and how it continues to affect our lives today, how
resourcing should prioritise those that are working with diverse and grassroots communities and resourcing
communities to drive the change especially within the climate crises.

Second day discussions emphasised a lot on the planning and logistics of representatives that will be attending
the Women Deliver in Kigali, Africa. The Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) will take place in-person in
Kigali, Rwanda, as well as virtually, from 17-20 July 2023. WD2023 will convene 6,000 in Kigali, Rwanda which
will become the first biggest Gender Equality Conference to take place in the African continent. There will be
almost 60 Oceanic delegation which is a big achievement for the Pacific and we will be taking with us our
regional outcomes document from the Pacific Feminist Forum that was held in Fiji in May, 2023.
The We Rise Coalition partners that consists of Brown Girl Woke of Samoa, Sista Vanuatu, FWRM,Voice for
Change-PNG, femLINKpacific and IWDA-Australia also utilised the opportunity to meet with the IWDA team in
Melbourne.

Programme Manager and Co-Lead Maria Nailevu attended the Melbourne event.
We acknowledge the Australian Government through the International Women's Development Agency - IWDA
under our We Rise Coalition for supporting the participation of femLINKpacific in this global space.
16 Islands Business, September 2023 Sponsored Content