United Nation Population Fund Helps Boost Gender Equality in the Pacific

The head of the United Nations Population Fund was in New Zealand recently holding high level meetings on gender equality in the Pacific Region

Dr Natalia Kanem met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Family Planning and women’s organisations to discuss better health, education and rights for women and girls. During her New Zealand visit Dr Kanem said she was really inspired by the leadership shown in the Pacific to addressing women’s human rights directly.

“What’s great about being in New Zealand is that peace and security is something that you speak about openly. You know I was at Parliament I also had the privilege of speaking with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters during this mission and everyone is in agreement that the first part of addressing a problem is to stop sweeping it under the carpet. Girls must be empowered to saying what is going on.”

The UNFPA works to improve access to contraception, safer childbirth, and is leading reinvigorated efforts to end violence against women and girls, she said.

“Let’s be clear. When we speak about things like gender-based violence, these are assaults. These are crimes against women and girls. And we are very concerned about sexual violence and about any type of gender-based violence.

“Precisely because it is an affront to human dignity of girls and women, and indeed men and boys who can also be affected” said Dr Kanem.

She said out of 14 Pacific countries the agency works with, 10 nations still have a rising trend in teenage pregnancy rates, illustrating shortfalls yet to be addressed.

Dr Karem said the agency is leading work with the New Zealand and Pacific governments to expose the causes of violence and teach people like nurses and midwives skills so they can intervene.

“So that girls and women will feel comfortable in reporting what is going on and talking to someone who is from their local community, who speaks their language and has an understanding of what is going on. So that we can interrupt the cycle. “We also have been working with the Police and justice departments. We have been working with young people themselves” she said. Dr Kanem said effective sexual and reproductive rights put development into the hands of women and girls, and the evidence that shows this is a good investment as it is women who raise future generations.

She said New Zealand is holding hands with the UNFPA to address what is a massive global problem. “If there are 232 million women who want to avoid pregnancy, but they don’t have contraception, let’s figure out how to get it to them. How are we going to make sure that 830 women stop dying every day from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth?

“That’s more than 300,000 a year. And 85,000 of those are Asia Pacific. So let’s admit that many of these women aren’t even women at all, they’re girls.”

The UNFPA works to improve access to contraception, safer childbirth, and is leading reinvigorated efforts to end violence against women and girls