World YWCA advocates for more women in peace building process

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) hosted the 11th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Noumea, New Caledonia, from August 16 - 20, 2010. 22 countries of the Pacific participated and the theme of the conference was “Progress and prospects: National level implementation of the Pacific and Beijing Platforms for Action”. 140 Government Ministers and representatives, development partners and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) attended the meeting. The Triennial called for a regional strategy on women's health and provided the Pacific Island region with the opportunity to take a closer look at the progress they have made on implementing the Beijing Platform of Action (BPA) as well as the Pacific Platform for Action (PPA), which is a regional gender commitment.

The World YWCA was one of the few international NGOs invited to the conference, with the presence of Juli Dugdale, Regional Director for Asia and Pacific. The World YWCA was part of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 panel. Other panel members included Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Director of FemLINK Pacific/Civil Society Advisory Group on Women, Peace and Security and Amelia K Siamomua, Senior Gender Advisor UNDP PNG country office. Juli presented a global perspective on peace with justice. She stressed the importance of connecting the local and global realities in advocacy for women's rights and ensuring that the voices of women and young women are heard by the increasing number of women in decision-making positions in communities, nationally, regionally and in international institutions. She also talked about the necessity of gender being placed at the centre of discussions in peace building, prevention and peacekeeping. “For a long time women have been viewed as the victims of conflict. This issue is not about making conflict safe for women, but to structure peace in a way that there is no recurrence of conflict and this is why we need peace building women at the decision making tables,” said Juli.

During the conference the following 6 thematic areas were discussed: mechanisms to promote the advancement of women, CEDAW and legislative reform, public life and decision making, violence against women (VAW), health and economic empowerment. Two major reports on VAW prevalence in Kiribati and the Solomon Islands were also launched at the meeting.

At the conclusion of the 4-day meeting, it was clear to all that there needs to be a bold new approach to women's health in the Pacific to tackle persistent problems of violence against women, poor maternal health and high rates of obesity and cancer. While there has been progress in data gathering on violence and the elaboration in a few countries of laws and policies to eradicate it, many challenges still remain. Gaps include the absence of an equal voice for women in high-level decision-making, including in national parliaments and regional organisations, and the lack of adequate resources, institutional arrangements and political prioritisation for gender equality and women's issues across the region.Women's access to health services in the Pacific is constrained and is affected by the location of services within the city, or the distance to the services. Access is also affected by high costs and poorly resourced screening services. Members of the panel stressed that reproductive health and contraception went beyond the health sector to socio-cultural issues and male behaviour. Violence against women is not addressed at health services and in general there is a low recognition of the problem as it is a topic that typically embarrasses people and it is rarely openly discussed.

Maternal and reproductive health has improved across the region, however in some countries it has worsened. The Pacific has the highest rate of Chlamydia infection in the world for women under the age of 24 years. Members of the panel stressed that reproductive health and contraception went beyond the health sector to socio-cultural questions and male behaviour. This is something that needs to be addressed urgently. Unplanned pregnancy is also a serious problem in the Pacific and non-communicable diseases have reached epidemic proportions. Obesity levels are also increasing and addressing obesity, and the diabetes that often ensues from it will, require long-term treatment and expensive equipment that many countries do not have.

In its final statement the conference called for women's health to be given the priority. Attention and resources need to be given to address major concerns relating to non-communicable diseases, cancer, violence, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV-related disease, and malaria.

The conference is to note the efforts at regional and national levels to integrate UNSCR 1325 into regional and national security policy and programmes and it plans to formulate a regional action plan on women, peace and security as a follow-up to the 2004 9th Triennial Conference where peace and security were recognised as a critical issues and added to the revised Platform for Action, and subsequent dialogue by the Pacific Islands Forum, the United Nations and Pacific civil society representatives.

The World YWCA congratulates and supports the outcomes of the 11th Triennial Conference for Pacific women.