This year's theme for International Women's Day on 8 March, Investing in Women and Girls, provides an opportunity to review the situation in the Pacific region regarding financing for gender equality.

A study commissioned recently by SPC shows that financing for gender equality is a challenging concept for the region. Specific data on national levels of financing of gender equality activities in the Pacific are relatively poor. However, anecdotal evidence places the domestic budgetary financing of gender activities at 1 per cent or less of the total budget of most Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs).

SPC Director-General Dr Jimmie Rodgers says PICTs need to take ownership of financing gender equality initiatives: 'The best approach would be for regional interventions to focus on enhancing the capacity of PICTs to mobilise additional resources for gender development initiatives.'

Dr Rodgers has been invited to join the International Women's Day celebrations in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), where the SPC Executive and a team of programme specialists are currently meeting to strengthen the organisation's support to FSM and other countries and territories of the Northern Pacific region. He will address FSM dignitaries and members of the public at an official function in Pohnpei tomorrow.

Dr Rodgers says SPC's programmes actively promote women's participation in their activities throughout the region. He says since the organisation's decentralisation to Pohnpei in FSM two years ago, SPC has had a renewed focus on its members in the Northern Pacific.

'The establishment of the FSM office was aimed at improving the effectiveness of SPC...’s work within the Northern Pacific,' Dr Rodgers says. 'The organisation will continue to work at both regional and country level to encourage financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.'

Linda Petersen, manager of SPC's Human Development Programme (HDP), says progress and support for gender equality in the countries and territories of the Northern Pacific needs to be stepped up. Ms Petersen says this will be a priority for her programme once an HDP adviser to the regional office in Pohnpei is appointed later this year.

'The new adviser has their work cut out for them. We have a poor record of support for gender in the US territories. We need to work closely with the Government of Palau to promote ratification of CEDAW (the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women). We also need to support efforts to implement and report on CEDAW in FSM and the Republic of Marshall Islands,' Ms Petersen says.

This year's theme ties in with the central theme of the 52nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status for Women (CSW 52), Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The Commission evaluates progress on gender equality and sets new standards for global policy. CSW 52, which ends today, is held over a fortnight every year in New York.

As in the past, SPC in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has supported the active participation of a number of its member countries at CSW, including Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Participants at CSW 52 marked International Women's Day yesterday, on 6 March.

As well as joining celebrations in FSM, SPC is participating in International Women's Day activities in several countries around the region. At the invitation of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Ms Petersen is giving a series of presentations in cities around Australia on the situation in the Pacific with regard to financing for gender equity.

In New Caledonia, where the day was commemorated early, SPC helped with the logistical organisation of the national celebrations. It also contributed to debates and discussions around the country's theme, Women Taking Action for Sustainable Development, through the participation of HDP's Women...’s Development Officer, Rolande Trolue.

Ms Trolue is currently attending the International Women's Day celebrations in Wallis and Futuna.

In Kiribati and Solomon Islands, where SPC is undertaking research on gender-based violence and child abuse, the organisation has contributed funding to the organisation of the International Women's Day celebrations. SPC, 07/03/08.