Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa has called upon all Pacific leaders and Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S.) to prioritise gender equality emphasising a partnership with women's movements and various sectors as one possible outcome.

Fiame made the call during the S.I.D.S conference's Gender Equality Forum hosted by the UN Women Caribbean and the UN Women Pacific on the weekend.

"The disaster mortality rate in SIDS is more than double the global average according to the Zendai monitor framework data. SIDS disaster cost also amongst the highest in the world. On average, they experience disaster losses seven times higher than other countries as a share of their GDP," she said.

"In this connection, I urge all SIDS nations and our Pacific Island leaders to make gender equality a priority. We need to stop the violence before it even starts.

"And we can only achieve it if we work together as leaders of our countries to partner with women's movements, broader CSOs, faith-based organisations, sports agencies, places of learning, work places, and traditional spaces to make SIDS a safe, health, and equitable place for all women and girls.

"We can only achieve these goals if we work from an understanding of the root course of gender inequality, and common principals and values to steer our path."

Fiame is of the view that gender-based violence is a prevalent issue that directly threatens the safety of women and girls and impedes the achievement of gender equality through its' wide-ranging impacts on women's human rights, health, education, and economic empowerment.

Under the Samoa pathway, one goal was to ensure that women's full and equal effective participation in all fields and leadership at all levels of decision making in the public and private sectors through affirmative actions and temporary special measures as appropriate and by setting and working to achieve concrete goals, targets and benchmarks such as the SDG 5.5.1

The Samoa pathway also aimed to ensure in S.I.D.S the promotion and protection of the human rights of all women and their sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights under the program of action of the International Conference on Population Development. The Beijing platform for action, and the outcome documents of their review conferences. 

SIDS are some of the world's most disaster-prone countries, Fiame reminded.

"They have high exposure and vulnerability to hazards such as cyclones, floods, droughts, sea level rise, earthquakes and tsunami."

She also commended the women's movement in the S.I.D.S regions who started this work long before S.I.D.S as a concept was established.

The Gender Equality Forum commenced from 25 to 26 May at Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua & Barbuda and precedes the 4th International Conference on S.I.D.S, which occurs only every 10 years.