GENDER equality is still not 'front and centre' in national development planning and financing, nor does it feature in high-level discussions on regional co-operation and development in the Pacific, a major meeting heard this week.

Speaking at the 11th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women, Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Ms Fekita 'Utoikamanu, said it was 15 years since the Beijing and Pacific Platforms of Action were endorsed by governments.
Another three years had gone by since the last Conference of Pacific Women.

But sadly women were continuing to struggle to achieve gender equality and their human rights.
'The recent election results in the Solomon Islands only serve to highlight the difficulty we have in this part of the world in getting women elected to parliament and senior decision-making roles,' she said.

National surveys showed distressing evidence of widespread gender-based violence and growing feminisation of HIV and AIDS infections, underscoring the fact that most of the development targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without considering the gender dimension.

'If leaders were not able to give the required attention to the Beijing and Pacific Platforms of Action, maybe they will take these issues more seriously if they are linked directly to development and the survival of communities in the Pacific.'
Despite some gains, she said, advocates for women still had a long road ahead.

Regionally, they were still playing 'catch up' in trying to ensure that gender equality is included in Pacific regional development frameworks for energy, information and communication technology, land management, climate change, food security and health.

On the positive side, she said progress had been made in drawing Pacific Island Forum Leaders' attention to the issues of women's political participation and the need for action to eliminate violence against women.

However, it was critical that national and regional leaders recognised that gender cuts across all sectors and aspects of development. To this end, SPC proposed a regional strategy for progressing gender equality in the Pacific, similar to the Pacific Regional Strategy for STI and HIV Prevention.
Ms Utoikamanu welcomed the new United Nations body, UN Women, which brings together resources and mandates for greater impact. She urged representatives to work together to ensure that the Pacific Islands region secures at least two seats on the Board of UN Women.

'This will have immediate impact in raising the profile of Pacific women's issues at all levels – from community right through to the international level—and give you a say in how this new entity will work in this region.'

The triennial conference, which ends tomorrow (Friday), will provide directions for mechanisms to promote the advancement of women, legal and human rights, access to health services and economic empowerment, as well as national and regional strategies. SPC, 19/08/10.