Projects allow for equality
EXTERNAL funding through the European Union has allowed Medical Services Pacific to carry out two projects.
MSP country director Ashna Shaleen said while the first project was directly linked to sexual and gender-based violence, the second, the COVID-19 project, allowed MSP to roll out vaccination support for the Government.
Ms Shaleen said gender equality and making sure that there was access to justice when the need arose had been their focus.
International Partnerships (INTPA) deputy director general for the EU, Myriam Ferran said they were happy and proud to contribute to the fight against gender-based violence.
“This is really a priority for us, and I must admit I am impressed by the results through those two projects,” she said.
“Most of the objectives of the projects have not only been reached but exceeded in this period of implementation in three years.
“Frankly, what the EU would like to see is a continuation, what is important for us is the multidimension project that are not only providing support to victims but working with legal counsellors and relevant authorities. We have regional programs with the same objectives that we are rolling out as the European Union on regional basis in all the Pacific Islands.”
Ms Ferran said the funding to MSP was “a worthwhile investment”.
“I would like is to see it multiplied as a nation and rolled out as a national policy. If you ask for my opinion, we are far away from being confident to report and there are many wellknown factors why children, girls or women don’t report the crimes.
“This is why I consider these projects very important because it also works on setting up the institutional grounds for women to be able to safely report and then there is a gap into the right of follow up, judicial follow up, but I am happy to share a few examples where significative sanctions were taken by the judiciary on individual cases,” Ms Ferran said.
“For me, I think we’re more at the beginning than the end but at least the trend is encouraging, and I would hope that the Government will pursue this trend and the society itself will embrace and recognise this as a genuine problem.”