JOINT PRESS RELEASE: Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women Set to Roll-Out Gender-Based Violence Counsellor Training Package for the Pacific
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre
UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office
Date:
Regional – Representatives of 13 crisis centres who are members of the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women (PWNAVAW) have converged in Fiji this week to the discuss the roll-out of the Gender-Based Violence Counsellor Training Package for the Pacific.
Organised in partnership with the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) and the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO), through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women (Pacific Partnership), funded primarily by the European Union, and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women, this three-day meeting of Pacific experts will see the continuation of decades long progress led by the crisis centres towards standardising best practice approaches to gender-based violence counselling in the Pacific.
“We are pleased to be hosting our Network members from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, to discuss how we will adapt and roll-out the gender-based counsellor training package in each of our countries. It’s a good opportunity for us to also discuss the next big step in this process which is the Regional Counsellor Training-of-Trainer’s workshop coming up in April. Our aim is for all women and girl survivors across the Pacific to access uniform and consistent survivor-centered counselling from trained counsellors when they come to our centers,” said Shamima Ali, FWCC Coordinator, and PWNAVAW Chair.
The package, adapted from training materials previously developed and used by FWCC across the region over the last three decades, will be used by new and experienced trainers from Pacific Island Countries working on violence against women and girls and women’s human rights.
“We are pleased to continue supporting the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women in responding to violence against women and girls and congratulate them in undertaking this next step that will see the standardisation of gender-based violence counselling in the Pacific,” said Delphine Serumaga, Representative for UN Women.
“Gender-based violence counsellors are critical front-line service workers, and this package includes a comprehensive curriculum adapted from materials that work for the Pacific, and meets international standards. This will further enhance the accessibility and quality of services for women and girls across the region for years to come. I wish the Network members all the best in their discussions and UN Women stands ready to support their implementation plans as part of our ongoing partnership.”
Following the three-day meeting, representatives of the PWNAVAW and UN Women will join the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Counselling Sub-Committee of the Regional Working Group on the Implementation of Family Protection and Domestic Violence Legislation (RWG), at a two-day regional stakeholder dialogue to discuss, amongst other key issues, the development of a regional gender-based violence/domestic violence counselling framework – a need that was identified by the Counselling Sub-Committee at the 2021 and 2022 RWG Annual Meeting. SPC will lead the coordination of the meeting in partnership with UN Women.
Media enquiries should be directed to:
- Shamima Ali
Coordinator
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre
Mobile: +679 9992875 - Shazia Usman
Communications and Media Specialist
UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office
Mobile: +679 9228389
Email: [ Click to reveal ]
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women
The Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women (PWNAVAW) has a membership of 129 organisations in 13 countries across the Pacific and is deeply rooted in the principles of feminism, women’s human rights, gender equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls. PWNAVAW has pioneered response and prevention approaches, including engaging men. Read more here.
Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership)
The Pacific region has some of the highest rates of violence against women recorded in the world – twice the global average with an estimated two in every three Pacific women impacted by gender-based violence. Along with high rates of violence – a grave human rights violation - women and girls in the Pacific region experience constant and continual inequalities including low levels of participation in decision-making, limited economic opportunities, and restricted access to critical services and rights.
The Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) brings together governments, civil society organisations, communities and other partners to promote gender equality, prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG), and increase access to quality response services for survivors.
The EUR27.6 million programme is funded primarily by the European Union (EUR12.7m) with targeted support from the Governments of Australia (EUR11.1m) and New Zealand (EUR3.2m) and cost-sharing with UN Women (EUR0.6m) and is led by the Pacific Community (SPC), UN Women and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Read more here. More information is here.