Essential Services for Survivors of Violence Launched in Northern Division
Date:
Labasa, Fiji — Medical Services Pacific (MSP) is launching their "One-Stop-Shop" clinic today in Labasa that will provide free clinical, counselling and legal support services, including mobile outreach to the most remote villages on Fiji's second largest island of Vanua Levu.
"We have partnered with UN Women, through support from the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), and the Canada Fund to expand our services to Vanua Levu and empower women and youth through essential sexual reproductive health care and our signature approach of combined clinical, legal and counselling services for survivors of violence," said Ms Jennifer Poole, Founder and Executive Director of MSP.Representatives attending the official launch of MSP's services in the Northern Division include UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) Deputy Representative Mr Nicolas Burniat; Mr Faka'iloatonga Taumoefolau, Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) Coordinator; Mr Lorenz Wright, Political and Public Affairs Officer with the Canadian Government; as well as senior representatives from the Fiji Police Force and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Northern Division.
"Through the WPHF, UN Women is strengthening the capacity of local partners to provide humanitarian assistance that responds to the different needs of women, girls, boys and men and prioritises preventing and responding to gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE)," said Mr Burniat.
"This is critical in the Pacific, as cyclones, floods and droughts are becoming increasingly unpredictable and extreme - with rates of violence against women already double the global average at two out of every three women - and existing vulnerabilities are known to worsen during disasters," added Mr Burniat.
Now MSP will be positioned to respond in the Northern Division from day one of an emergency, compared with a six-hour journey by vehicle and boat from Suva, with essential medical supplies, equipment and staff as per the last major disaster response of Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016.
"The One-Stop-Shop will strengthen existing services available for those living outside of the main island and well as be positioned to respond immediately from within the community to disasters affecting the Northern Division," said Ms. Poole.
In the lead-up to the official launch, MSP has been working in Vanua Levu with the Fiji Police Force, accompanying them on home visits to provide essential services to survivors of sexual violence; meeting with village heads to raise awareness of protection issues and participating in Fiji Red Cross Society disaster preparedness sessions - already reaching approximately 150 to 200 people per month since August, of which 54 percent are women and girls.
MSP is one of four organizations in the Pacific region supported by UN Women through the WPHF, a rapid finance mechanism and partnership between the United Nations, Member States, and civil society stakeholders.
UN Women MCO in Fiji, which assists 14 Pacific Island countries and territories, is working with national organizations on preparedness and prioritisation of gender and protection in humanitarian action - ensuring women can participate in, lead and be empowered by humanitarian assistance.
Media Contacts:
UN Women
Terri O'Quinn
Humanitarian Communications Officer, UN Women MCO Fiji
Ph: +679 330 1178 ext. 108 or Email: [ Click to reveal ]
Jacqui Berrell
Communications and Media Specialist, UN Women MCO Fiji,
Ph: +679 330 1178 ext. 125 or Email:[ Click to reveal ]
General Email: [ Click to reveal ]
WPHF
Matthew Rullo
Communications Analyst, Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) New York,
Ph: +210 255 0175 or Email: [ Click to reveal ]
MSP
Jennifer Poole
Executive Director, Medical Services Pacific
Ph: +679 9991184 Email: [ Click to reveal ] and copy [ Click to reveal ]
Nazura Begum
PA/Media Liaison Officer
Ph: 8316004 or Email: [ Click to reveal ]
Akilah Harper
Social Media
Ph: + 679 363 0108 or Email: [ Click to reveal ]
BACKGROUND
Medical Services Pacific: MSP is a rights-based family planning agency that believes that Human Rights awareness and the empowerment of women go together and that both are critical in ensuring individuals and communities achieve optimal Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. MSP programs are designed to empower women and girls as access to quality SRH services is key to obtaining gender equality, reducing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and strengthening women's capacity as providers and agents of change in the Pacific.
UN Women's Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action programme: The UN Women's Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action programme works to strengthen the capacity of humanitarian actors in the Pacific to integrate gender and protection in their work, and to lead the mainstreaming of gender and protection through the entire humanitarian system at national level. Additionally, UN Women aims to strengthen the role of women as key actors in humanitarian action. UN Women provides leadership to the regional Pacific Humanitarian Protection Cluster, bringing together UN agencies, regional and international organisations with local authorities to identify and fulfil the needs of impacted communities.
UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) in Fiji: The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) was created at the July 2010 United Nations General Assembly. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. The UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) based in Fiji, covers 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs): Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The Fiji MCO works to progress gender equality and women's empowerment in the Pacific through four key programmes: Women's Economic Empowerment; Ending Violence Against Women; Women's Political Empowerment, Leadership and Human Rights; and Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action.
Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF): The Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism. It supports quality interventions to enhance the capacity of local women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities. As the WPHF is a partnership between Member States, UN, and civil society, all stakeholders are represented on its Funding Board. UN Women globally provides secretariat support and ensures coordination to implement the decisions of the Funding Board with UN Women Fiji MCO chairing the Pacific steering committee with members including UN OCHA, UNFPA, UNDP, IFRC, femLINKpacific, Pacific Forum Island Secretariat and Australian DFAT. WPHF donors currently include: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein and Lithuania.