PREAMBLE
1. Recalling the 2012 Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration, which committed to lift the status of women in the Pacific and empower them to be active participants in political, economic and social life;
2. Recognising that despite the progress since our endorsement of the Declaration in 2012, our collective ambition in advancing gender equality and social inclusion are yet to be achieved;
3. Recognising that structural and underlying social, cultural, and economic barriers have detrimental effects on the lives of women and girls in all their diversity, and that changing attitudes and behaviours towards gender equality and social inclusion must start with our children;
4. Reaffirming our commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action and the Pacific Platform for Action and Women’s Human Rights (2018 – 2030), as contextualised against the thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent;
5. Reaffirming that climate change and disasters, including nuclear contamination, have a disproportionate impact on women and girls in all their diversity, particularly women and girls with disabilities and women and girls living in rural, remote and maritime areas and that we will not meet the 1.5 degrees celsius goal, or any other goal, without their full contribution;
6. Reaffirming our rich diverse context, cultures, traditions, and values, and the significant role these play in progressing gender equality and social inclusion in our region;
7. Reaffirming that women’s economic empowerment is fundamental to development;
8. Acknowledging that digital technologies can transform communities, promote innovation and provide opportunities that can accelerate the realisation of our 2050 Vision and advance gender equality and social inclusion in the Blue Pacific Continent;
9. Expressing strong concern that gender-based violence remains a grave challenge
for our Blue Pacific Continent; and
10. Affirming that this revitalised Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration on Achieving
Gender Equality promotes a coherent and inclusive approach to gender equality and social inclusion actions, to achieve our Vision for a resilient Pacific Region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures that all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy, and productive lives.
WE, THE LEADERS OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM MAKE THIS REVITALISED DECLARATION BASED ON THE FOLLOWING:
11. Call for stronger commitment at all levels to the revitalised Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration on Achieving Gender Equality and urge new transformative partnerships and investments with all stakeholders that will guarantee lifelong learning, health and wellbeing of all Pacific peoples, particularly for women and girls in all their diversity.
12. Commit to stronger leadership to improve governance, ownership and accountability of the Declaration through the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meetings, our annual Forum Leaders Meetings, other ministerial convenings at regional and international level, and as determined through a timebound work plan.
13. Commit to operationalise and implement the revitalised Declaration through:
i. stronger measures to improve strategic resourcing, monitoring and reporting on progress through the collection, collation and analysis of high-quality quantitative and qualitative disaggregated gender and disability inclusive data.
ii. accelerated actions and measures to strengthen the participation of all Pacific peoples, particularly women and girls in all their diversity, at all levels of leadership and decision-making, and strengthen national systems to promote and mainstream gender equality and inclusivity.
iii. holistic approaches to gender equality and social inclusion, including measures to fully engage men and boys in efforts to achieve the full, effective, and accelerated implementation of this Declaration.
iv. taking a twin tracked approach to disability inclusion by creating an enabling environment for the meaningful and equal participation of persons with disabilities particularly women and girls with disabilities, through transformative and innovative approaches that provides opportunities whilst
ensuring their safety and protection.
v. accelerating necessary and innovative actions to prevent and eliminate gender-based violence including domestic violence, which take survivor-centred, whole-of-community and family approaches, while ensuring perpetrators of violence are held accountable for their actions.
vi. ensuring universal health coverage for all Pacific peoples particularly women and girls in all their diversity, including Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and mental health.
vii. inclusive, accessible, quality and affordable education for all Pacific peoples that ensures lifelong learning, a safe and supportive education environment, progressive curriculum with appropriate pedagogy that promotes gender equality and social inclusion and comprehensive sexuality education.
viii. meaningful participation of all Pacific peoples, particularly women and girls in all their diversity, in climate change action including access to climate finance, disaster risk management, the protection of persons affected by climate change-related sea-level rise, climate security and the sustainable management and use of oceans and river resources for development.
ix. creating a conducive environment for women and girls’ economic empowerment inclusive of those working in the informal and unpaid care economy, women and girls with disabilities, and women and girls in rural, remote, and maritime areas.
x. bridging the gender digital divide by promoting access to ICT and digital services for all Pacific peoples, particularly women and girls in all their diversity while ensuring online safety and minimising harmful impacts.
xi. Ensuring the safety and protection of all Pacific peoples particularly women and girls in all their diversity including climate security, and by taking measures to end all forms of human exploitation including human trafficking.
xii. ensuring the full, equal, effective, and meaningful leadership and participation of women and girls in all their diversity at every stage of peace processes, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding for peace and security.
14. Direct CROP and Call on all partners to dedicate recurrent and new resources and work collaboratively for greater coherence to progress gender equality and social inclusion at both national and regional levels.
