Calling for regional organisations to step up on gender commitments
PRESS STATEMENT 56/08
Friday 4th, July 2008 Calling for regional organisations to step up on gender commitments Representatives from regional organisations met in Suva this week (1-2 July) to discuss progress against the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) 1998 Gender Strategy. Key themes discussed included the gender dimensions of trade policy, HIV responses, participatory democracy, peace and conflict, energy and climate change. "While work has been done in respective agencies to mainstream gender, clear gaps remain in ensuring a gender perspective is part and parcel of policy and programme responses by regional organisations," said Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Deputy Secretary General, Peter Forau. "Ignoring the gender dimension continues to result in unnecessarily lost opportunities for the region." Participants recognised the need for the network to be strengthened and resourced, including through proactive engagement with UN Agencies and other development partners. They also called on agency heads to respond to the recommendations of a 2007 review of gender awareness and programming across regional organisations. Participants included representatives from Fiji School of Medicine, Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Southpacific.Travel and the University of the South Pacific, and was facilitated by the NZAID Gender Advisor. (Ends) For more information, contact Joanne Lee Kunatuba, the Forum Secretariat's Gender Policy Officer via email or telephone: (679) 331 2600 |
2008