Photos courtesy Talitha Project

Ending violence against women is not Tonga’s problem alone nor is it unique to the Pacific. “It is a problem that affects all of our communities and our countries,” the Australian High Commissioner Mr Brett Aldam said in launching a new information resource for women in Nuku'alofa on Saturday July 25.

A new toolkit, titled “How to design projects to end violence against women and girls”, is the first of its kind in the Pacific. It was developed by UN Women through its Pacific Regional Ending Violence against Women Facility Fund (Pacific Fund), with funding from the Australian Government.

The toolkit was co-launched by Tonga's Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Sosefo Fe'aomoeata Vakata with the Australian High Commissioner at an “orange" breakfast at the Davina Restaurant. It was attended by representatives of non-government organisations and stakeholders who wear orange to support anti-violence campaigns.

A series of prevalence studies conducted in countries across the Pacific shows that two in three women experience some type of violence in their lifetime, mostly from their partners or husbands, a figure that is twice the global average. Anti-violence activists and organisations around the Pacific face challenges in getting projects off the ground as they work to end violence against women and girls in the region

UN Women’s Representative at the Fiji Multi-Country Office in Suva, Aleta Miller, said the toolkit has been developed to provide organisations with a resource that supports them on some of the more technical aspects of project planning, design, implementation and evaluation that are required by donors.

“There is no shortage of passion, ideas, knowledge and understanding when it comes to ending violence against women and girls in Pacific communities. This toolkit is designed to help transform that passion and knowledge into realistic and effective projects that a donor can be excited about and confident to fund. All of which will take us that much closer to our ultimate goal of ensuring that every woman and girl in the Pacific can live a life free from violence.”

UN Women’s Pacific Fund provides grants of up to USD$100,000 and extensive capacity building support to government departments and civil society organisations for projects working specifically towards ending violence against women and girls in the region. Funded by the Australian Government, the Pacific Fund has to date authorised 42 grants across seven countries for a total of more than USD1.7 million.

“How to design projects to end violence against women and girls: a step-by-step guide to taking action” is also available for free download, at http://bit.do/7u35 [2]

Attending the breakfast were representatives from the Ma‘a Fafine mo e Famili Inc., National Centre for Women & Children, Women and Children Crisis Centre, Naunau ‘o e ‘Alamaite Tonga – NATA (a disability organisation), Pacific Leadership Program, Talitha Project, Tonga Leitis Association, Tonga UNDP-Millenium Development Goals, UN Women , UNFPA, UNDP – Tonga Governance Strengthening Program, SPC-RRRT, Australian Federal Police,  the New Zealand Police Force and the Tonga Ministry of Internal Affairs.