Pacific Scoop PIF Coverage
Gender-equality talks as violence statistics put to Pacific leaders
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Former President of Chile and current head of UN Women Michelle Bachelet.
Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Calida Smylie
Gender equality in the Pacific will be discussed as a Forum side event today, with a number of high-profile female United Nations members attending.
Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Michele Bachelet, will take part in the panel discussions on gender equality.
The head of the UN Delegation to the Pacific Island Forum was also the first female president of Chile, serving 2006 to 2010.
The panel will also include Penny Williams, Australia’s global ambassador for women and girls, and Su’a Kevin Thomsen, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat strategic partnership and coordination programme director.
Today is a big day for gender equality.
Gender equality talks
Shortly before the gender equality panel talks, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Prime Minister Henry Puna will make an announcement regarding a funding initiative for women in politics.
Amnesty International Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze says the human rights organisation would like to see a strong commitment to action by Forum leaders to further their goal of ending violence against women in the Pacific.
“In 2009, Forum leaders committed to eradicating sexual and gender based violence and set up a Forum reference group to address this issue. Amnesty International believes it is now imperative that leaders make clear and time-bound commitments to implement laws and policies aimed at reducing violence and discrimination against women, including by investigating and prosecuting alleged perpetrators.”
Violence statistics
Two out of every three women are affected by violence across the Pacific.
In March 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women visited Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and described it as a “pervasive phenomenon” that must be addressed.
Finance Minister Mark Brown will chair today’s panel, to be held at the National Auditorium.
European Union representatives and other UN staff will also attend the discussion, which is open to the public.
Calida Smylie is a reporter with the Cook Islands News and an AUT University journalism graduate.
This item is republished courtesy of Pacific.Scoop.co.nz.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this media release item do not necessarily represent the views of 36th Parallel Assessments.
