Kiribati police driving gender-responsive policing in the Pacific

Acting Commissioner Eeri Aritiera discusses joining the High-Level Network for Gender-Responsive Policing and strengthening justice sector coordination through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) programme.

Police Commissioner Eeri Aritiera, policing has always been about people. His decision to join the High-Level Network for Gender-Responsive Policing reflects a deeper commitment to strengthening institutions, building trust with communities and ensuring survivors of violence are supported at every step of the justice system.

“Being part of this network gives the Kiribati Police Service an opportunity to share knowledge, learn from global experience and continue strengthening our response to violence against women and groups in vulnerable situations.”

The High-Level Network for Gender-Responsive Policing brings together senior police leaders working to improve police responses to gender-based violence. Supported by UN Women and co-chaired by Chile, the Netherlands and Senegal, the network creates a platform for police services to exchange expertise, strengthen accountability systems and promote reforms that build public trust and confidence in policing.

For countries like Kiribati, where police services often operate with limited resources across dispersed island communities, access to global expertise and peer learning can help accelerate reforms while strengthening institutional capacity.

Aritiera’s career spans more than three decades of service to Kiribati communities.

He joined the Kiribati Police Service in 1995, serving in investigations and later training the next generation of officers before rising to Acting Commissioner.

“I like communicating with people and linking with communities,” Aritiera says. “That’s why I wanted to become a police officer. To work with the public and support them.”

Gender responsive policing goes beyond improving responses to survivors of violence. It involves strengthening policies, leadership, budgets, training and accountability mechanisms so that police institutions are accessible, trusted and responsive to the needs of women and girls. It also requires addressing longstanding institutional cultures within policing and ensuring greater participation and leadership of women within police services.

For Aritiera, the decision also reflects values deeply rooted in Kiribati society.

“When we look at our culture, we respect members of our communities who are in vulnerable situations,” he explains. “I also think of our future. Young people are our future leaders, and both men and women play a vital role in supporting those leaders.”

Across the Pacific, violence against women remains one of the most pressing human rights challenges. Studies show that nearly two in three women in the region have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. In Kiribati, the 2009 nationally representative Family Health and Support Study found that 68 percent of women aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a husband or boyfriend and 36 percent had experienced this violence in the past year.

The 2020 South Tarawa Healthy Living Study, commissioned by the Ministry of Women Youth, Sport and Social Affairs (MWYSSA) with UN Women through the Pacific Partnership programme, asked men about their use of physical or sexual violence, with 57 percent acknowledging such behaviour in the past year, providing new insight into the scale of the problem.

The Kiribati Social Development Indicator Survey (2018–2019) found that 54 percent of women and 62 percent of men believe a husband is justified in beating his wife in at least one circumstance, reflecting deeply embedded norms that continue to tolerate violence against women.

These attitudes highlight why strengthening gender-responsive policing and justice responses is critical, not only to improve investigations and survivor support, but also to build public trust and signal that violence against women is unacceptable.

“We cannot fight violence against women and children just on our own,” Aritiera says. “We need strong partnerships with organisations that have the experience and knowledge in this work.”

In Kiribati, these partnerships are already helping strengthen the country’s response to gender-based violence.

Through collaboration with UN Women under the Pacific Partnership, the Kiribati Police Service, the Judiciary and the Office of the Attorney Generalhave entered into a joint multi-year agreement to work together to strengthen justice sector responses to violence against women and girls. The collaboration, which commenced in 2025, represents one of the most integrated justice sector coordination models in the Pacific, bringing together three core institutions responsible for investigation, prosecution and adjudication under a single coordinated programme of support.

Initial areas of support include strengthening gender-responsive capacity across police and justice officials, improving case management and coordination between institutions, and reviewing pending gender-based violence cases to identify systemic blocks and opportunities for reform. By aligning the work of police, prosecutors and the judiciary under a shared framework, the initiative aims to ensure that survivors receive coordinated and timely support while strengthening accountability for perpetrators. Within the police service, several initiatives are also helping improve support for survivors. The Kiribati Police Service operates a Domestic Violence Unit and is part of SafeNet, a referral network led by MWYSSA that connects government institutions and civil society organisations working to respond to cases of domestic violence. Through SafeNet, survivors can access coordinated services including police protection, medical care, legal assistance and psychosocial support.

“Capacity strengthening for our police officers has been very important,” Aritiera says. “In the past we did not have the same level of support. Now we have stronger training and resources to help us respond better.” He emphasised that partnerships with both local and international organisations have played a key role in building this capacity. “We are grateful for the support of our local and international partners, especially UN Women.”

Like many small island police services, Kiribati continues to face challenges.

“Our main challenge is resources,” Aritiera explains. “We need more hands and more resources. With more resources we could expand our programmes and engage more with the public.”

Despite these constraints, Kiribati is also contributing to regional efforts to strengthen gender-responsive policing across the Pacific.

Through meetings of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police, Aritiera has encouraged stronger cooperation between police services and greater support for women in policing, including through the Women’s Advisory Network, which promotes leadership opportunities for female police officers across the region.

As Kiribati strengthens its partnerships and engagement with global policing networks, Aritiera hopes these efforts will continue to improve protection and support for women and girls across the country.

“We must continue to create programmes that empower women and support them in exercising their rights,” he says. “By supporting women and young people, we help build a stronger future for everyone.”