The Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) welcomed over 100 delegates including from Samoa to share and learn.

The gist of the discussions at the regional conference will be on "what works to prevent violence against women and girls where we play, pray, learn, and engage together in the Pacific". The conference started on Monday in Fiji. It is co-hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC), UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO), and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Present are delegates from countries that are part of the Pacific Partnership programming, which include the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea (including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville), Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 had hampered regional and national in-person dialogues and convenings. This impacted the stakeholders' ability to listen, reflect, share, and strategise on the ground-breaking work that is being done in our countries and regionally to prevent violence against women and girls.

Mereseini Rakuita, the Principal Strategic Lead for Gender at the SPC, gave statistics on the incidences of violence against women and girls in the region and its overall impact on national development. 

“As a region, the Pacific has one of the highest recorded rates of violence against women and girls globally; with 2 out of 3 women who have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime," Ms. Rakuita said. 

"Violence against women and girls takes a profound and long-term toll on women's health and well-being, on their families and communities, and on a nation's development. 

"Global evidence confirms that violence against women is ultimately preventable within years, not lifetimes if an evidence-based, whole of population, whole of government and inclusive approach is advanced."

According to Dr. Filimon Manoni, the PIF Deputy Secretary General, the regional summit is an opportune time where at the regional level gender equality priorities are being shaped by consultations for the PLGED revitalisation. 

"The 2050 Strategy articulates the vision of our Leaders for a safe, secure, and prosperous region. It outlines strategic pathways and the thematic areas that will frame and guide development for our Pacific people. 

"Gender equality and social inclusion is a key element of that. We view the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration and the 2050 Strategy as key guiding documents for reducing violence against women and girls and achieving gender equality.”

Samoan Prime Minister, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa appealed to her colleague leaders to make the prevention of violence a priority for their respective governments.

“I urge all Pacific Island leaders to make prevention of violence a priority. We need to stop the violence before it even starts, and we can achieve this if we work together, beginning from a common understanding of the root cause of violence, and common principles and values to steer our path,” Prime Minister Fiamē said. 

Ground-breaking work to end violence against women and girls has been ongoing in the Pacific for decades, notably led by the women’s rights movement and civil society. From the establishment of the region’s crisis centers and the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women in the 1980s and 1990s, innovative and homegrown approaches to prevent violence against women and girls have influenced and impacted families, communities, and societies across the Pacific.

According to the Officer-In-Charge of UN Women Fiji MCO, Sonia Rastogi, the work is not new. 

“Pioneer women’s activists are being joined by newer partners from diverse fields, including the education, faith, and sports sectors, alongside governments and other stakeholders in efforts to prevent violence. 

"The increasing number of new actors in the ending violence against women and girls field brings new opportunities, and the need to ensure that all actors are working from a common framework and principles.”

The movement against violence against women in Fiji, in the Pacific, and at the time across the world started to put our issues on the table, said Shamima Ali, Coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, and Chair of the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women.

“To fundamentally change a world that accepted women as second-class citizens and to save our lives. Over the next 5 days delegates will discuss strategies and ways to change these attitudes and these views," said the Coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

"In their conversations, I emphasise the importance of acknowledging work that has already been done in the region and to build upon what we already know and what is already working not reinvent the wheel."

The Pacific Prevention Summit follows a long journey in the region to address violence against women and girls. Culminating over five days, the learning event will explore what is working to stop violence before it starts as well as identify gaps and emergent areas where we must focus our efforts. 

In a shifting landscape of climate crisis, socio-economic changes, backlash on women’s rights, and increased influence of digital technology, the Summit aims to strengthen our resolve and approach on this issue while underscoring the need for investment in primary prevention efforts if we are to see any reach change for future generations.

Samoan representatives and delegates include Brown Girl Woke President Dorris Tulifau, Team-Up Rugby Association, Apelu Sports, Nuanua o le Alofa organization, Loukinikin Vili from National Human Rights Institution and Rev. Papalii Sonya Hunter of National Council of Churches with the total number of seven delegates.  

The regional conference is funded primarily by the European Union, the governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women. The summit includes practitioners, researchers, policymakers, activists, and community members working in prevention from across the Pacific.