Pacific Parlimentarians Discuss the Way Foward Wellington, New Zealand 2nd October 2006

Commonwealth female members of Parliament from the Pacific Region gathered in Wellington today for a regional roundtable organized by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) which included representives from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Mr. Nails Johnston, CPA Director said that the workshop was a culmination of a series of workshops at the national level which aims at discussing strategies for increasing women’s political participation in the Pacific Region. The workshop seeksto build on various initiatives taken in the Region including workshops held in Papua New Guinea and Tonga, and the recent regional workshop in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, he said.

The New Zealand Minister for Women, Hon. Liaane Dalziel, opening the workshop at the Parliamentary complex said that it is important for Pacific Islands Members of Parliament to take a strong stand on importatn priorities such as increasing women’s representation in Parliament because they are the basis of moving forward as women, as leaders in communities and as the mainstay of families. Towards this end, New Zealand will work with its Pacific neighbours to maximise the potential as a region through the realization of the potential of women.

Ms. Laisa Bale-Tuinamoala, speaking on behalf of UNIFEM said that the way forward was through partnerships with different groups and at different levels, even between groups of differing political thought. In acknowledging the partnership with CPA, Ms Laisa Bale-Tuinamoala also thanked partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Gender Advisor for providing technical assistance at the workshop. UNIFEM, she said are now conceptualizing a Pacific Women’s School of Politics that aims at “mass popular civics eduaction that will give women access to information and eduation, essential for them to be better informed and more active citizens, capable of mounting and sustaining a demand for a good governance. It is envisaged, that this will support and develop critical needs to enjoy their human rights, to access basis health, education among other this". While the programme is currently bieng conceptualized, UNIFEM will be sharing the concept paper for more dialogue and consultations, Ms. Bale-Tuinamoala said.

The four day workshop will conclude on the 5th October 2006 with key recommendations on how the Pacific Islands can meet their commitments made to the Beijing Platform for Action, the Commonwealth Women’s Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women and the Millenium Development Goals.

UNIFEM’S WOMEN IN POLITICS PROGRAMME FOR THE PACIFIC

The Pacific Platform for Action prepared in 1994, in preparation for the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women, integrated the Islands’ priorities to achieve gender equality. The Pacific Platform was endorsed by all 23 Pacific region governments and supported by regional organizations and women’s NGO. Since 1995, most Pacific governments have translated their commitments into national plans of action to promote gender equity, constitutional guarantees against sex discrimination, and special provisions for women in National Plans.

In 2004, these national plans and regional plans were the basis of the discussions and reviews of the 2 major meetings held in Nadi, Fiji. In May was the 7th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting and in August, the SPC 9th Triennial Meeting.

According to data, despite governments’ strategic plans and public statements in support of the Millennium Development Goal to increase women’s participation by the year 2015, progress towards achieving this target has been slow and governments’ political will often erratic.

To address these gaps, UNIFEM, with the support of NZAID, developed a strategy to promote women’s political empowerment in six Pacific Island countries The programme has three components:

i) Provide training in politics for women and ensure that such training is institutionalized through the establishment of National Women in Politics (WIP) organizations in each programme country.

ii) Identify potential women leaders in key government decision-making bodies and strengthen their capacities and political skills.

iii) Develop a database on the participation of Pacific women at all level of decision making.

The WIP activities are outlined below by objectives in the various countries:

OBJECTIVE 1: Strengthen the institutional support for Pacific women’s political participation at all levels of governance.

Samoa
UNIFEM funded a National Workshop in Samoa from 3 – 5 December 2002 to 1) assess efforts and achievements, and identify opportunities and obstacles to women’s political participation in Samoa; and 2) review the status of institutional support by major organizations, including capacity, sustainability, other strengths and weaknesses, lessons learned and best practices to support women’s political participation.

As a result of the meeting, a National Plan of Action was developed to increase options and opportunities for Samoan women by ensuring that they are able to participate in and shape political decision making at all levels.

Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Following a Regional Women’s Political Empowerment Congress held in Nadi, Fiji in October 2003, the Papua New Guinea government and NGO delegates planned to develop a PNG-specific National Plan for Women in Politics.

Fiji
The Fiji National Council of Women (NCW) is currently carrying out an assessment of WIP’s programme activities since the 1995 Beijing conference. The NCW drafted a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the terms for NCW and WIP collaboration, whereby NCW will play a leadership role to support women’s participation in government in a sustainable way.

Vanuatu
Following an assessment, the Vanuatu National Council of Women will draw up a similar arrangement to Fiji’s beginning in September 2004 whereby it will also play a leadership role in support of women’s political participation.

WIPPaC:
A review and feasibility study of the Women in Politics Pacific Centre by a consultant hired in March 2004 provided the foundation for setting priorities. The report: 1) assessed the role, capacity, and budgetary resources available for regional inter-governmental organizations to link to the work of WIPPaC in terms of implementing the Millennium Development Goal number three and the Beijing Platform for Action; 2) identified areas for Inter-governmental organization/WIPPaC complementary activities to avoid duplication of efforts and make the best use of limited resources; 3) identified links with major projects on good governance currently underway; 4) developed an organizational model and staffing plan and identify possible resources to finance the Centre’s operation; and 5) make recommendations on WIPPaC’s physical location, including a proposal to rotate its management between member countries on a 3-year sub regional basis.

WIPPaC Interim Advisory Working Group is currently reviewing the draft report which will be finalized soon.

OBJECTIVE 2: Promote gender responsive and people centred governance by training women politicians and policy makers in transformative leadership.

Beginning in April 2004, the UNIFEM WIPPaC Training Manual was revised by consultants. The draft will be finalized soon.

Samoa: Translation of the manual into the Samoan vernacular is currently underway.

Marshall Islands: Women United Together in the Marshall Islands (WUTMI) is working closely with local women to translate the WIP manuals for use by trainers in the outer atolls.

Fiji: UNIFEM is working with the Fiji College of Advanced Education and the Centre for Training and Development, (Fiji Government’s training centre for civil servants) to test the WIP modules in their training programme. Both training institutions are eager to incorporate the modules into their programmes, and view this pilot as an opportunity to gender sensitize the trainers and trainees.

In December 2004, UNIFEM contracted a team from CAPWIP for about a month to work with the Public Service Commission’s Centre for Training and Development. The objective was to mainstream gender into the Fiji Public Service machinery. Middle level managers from all ministries and departments of the Fiji Public Service were the targeted audience. CAPWIP’s team of 4 highly skilled, trained and educated facilitators took the participants through a 6 week course in Gender Sensitisation; gender analysis and gender mainstreaming. Together they also developed 6 modules which are tailored to the Fiji Public Service culture.

21 middle level managers from various sectors within the Fiji Public Service graduated in December 2004 and they now form the Gender Mainstreaming Core Group.

UNIFEM, in collaboration with UNDP, is working with Ministry of Education Curriculum Development Unit to review the school curriculum. It has identified the Centre for Asia Pacific Women In Politics (CAPWIP) as a partner to assist in developing a political education programme tailored for the adult education programme and primary and secondary schools.

Vanuatu: UNIFEM is working with the National Council of Women on the possibility of developing modules for adults as part of the adult civic education programme.

Marshall Islands
UNIFEM aims to work with the Marshall Islands Ministry for Education incorporate gender into its civic education programme.

OBJECTIVE 3: Assist in the development of a more facilitating environment for Pacific women in the broad political arena.

Fiji
UNIFEM funded an assessment of the electoral system and will work closely with stakeholders to advocate for reform in the Electoral Act and regulations that impede women’s full participation in the decision-making process at all level of governance.

For more information on the Women In Politics Programme for the Pacific, please contact the WIP Programme Coordinator Ms Seruwaia Vukivou seruwaia@unifempacific.com