Pacific women and girls can live free from violence [1]
Thursday, September 15, 2016 - 21:41. Updated on Thursday, September 22, 2016 - 13:58.
Pacific women and girls can live free from violence - because violence against them is not inevitable and it can be prevented, was the message for more than 40 specialists from across the Pacific meeting in Nadi, Fiji, from 12-15 September.
With a theme "Road to Change: A Pacific Regional Consultation on Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls" the meeting was the first time UN Women has organized a large gathering of practitioners and experts from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.
Successful methods of preventing violence used in other parts of the world, were presented by experts from the United States, Australia and Uganda.
“We all believe violence is not inevitable, it can be prevented and we are conversing about how we can systematically address, reduce and end violence against women and girls with a particular focus on what drives this violence, and how it can be addressed so Pacific women and girls can live lives free from violence,” said Aleta Miller, UN Women Multi Country Representative.
The group looked at a number of prevention elements including changing attitudes which condone violence; examining the gender inequality which underpins violence against women and girls; looking at the need for women and girls to have self-determination over all aspects of their lives; and how best to engage men and boys in prevention.
Shamima Ali, Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Co-ordinator said there needs to be an increase in prevention programmes, which will tackle the root cause of violence; inequality between women and men.
“However, this cannot happen without equally prioritizing services for survivors. We know when community-based prevention programmes are implemented, there is an increase in demand for services,” she said.
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs Director of Women, Pauline Soaki, said they have the opportunity to unify how to approach and promote prevention of violence against women and girls across the Pacific.
“And we can strengthen new and existing networks to tackle violence in a collaborative way,” she said.
The meeting is part of the UN Women’s Ending Violence against Women and Girls programme, a five year initiative to help women and girls live a violence free life.