Changing Social Norms to Prevent Violence
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Taking bold action for the prevention of violence against women and girls has dominated a high-level panel discussion at one of the Pacific’s most influential forums.
In the margins of the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, held in Samoa from 4-8 September 2017, the European Union (EU)-Pacific Gender Conference panel was co-chaired by a European Union representative and Samoa’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Hon Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi.
Panellists included UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) Representative Aleta Miller; President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Her Excellency Dr Hilda Heine (the Pacific’s only woman President); Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator the Hon Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, and Director of the Women and Children Crisis Centre Tonga, ‘Ofa Guttenbeil Likiliki.
“There can be no sustainable development without gender equality,” said UN Women Fiji MCO Representative Aleta Miller.
“And, in the Pacific, the SDGs cannot be achieved unless the central driver of gender inequality – violence and discrimination – is addressed,” Ms Miller said.
“The panel was an incredible opportunity to progress this dialogue on preventing violence against women and girls, and leverage the significant political will amongst Pacific leaders, with many high-level delegations in the room.”
UN Women Fiji MCO covers 14 Pacific Island countries and territories, and is advancing a comprehensive approach to ending violence against women and girls in the Pacific that includes improving access to high-quality, essential services coupled with transformative prevention approaches that address social norms, underpinned by strong legislative and policy support for ending violence against women and girls.
“UN Women in the Pacific is working with key partners to take forward a ‘Pacific Specific’ strategy for transforming social norms that drive violence that includes working across three key pillars of Pacific society - faith, education and sport - to bring about a sea change in how people think, feel and act towards women and girls,” said Ms Miller.
Globally, one out of three women will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. In the Pacific, two out of three women experience violence, predominantly within intimate relationships.
“The region has a vibrant and strong women’s rights movement,” Ms Miller said.
“Many Pacific governments have demonstrated their leadership by passing national legislation to address violence against women. Against this backdrop, community based social norm programming for the prevention of violence is the next frontier, to stop violence before it starts.”
“UN Women is committed to supporting Pacific partners with a bold and ambitious agenda to reduce rates of violence across the Pacific. We believe that together, we can end gender inequality and end violence – for the benefit of every Pacific women, man, girl and boy across this vast ‘blue continent’,” she added.