Pacific women deliberate, break through for civil society

The Triennial Conference is the Pacific community’s platform that gives Pacific women space to deliberate on challenges and explore solutions to the barriers that continue to stall progress for gender equality.

The comment was made by Colin Tukuitonga, Director General of the Pacific Community, the regional organisation convening the meeting during his welcome address on Monday.

A president is among the record number of women attending the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the sixth Pacific Ministers for Women meeting at the Novotel Suva Lami Bay Convention Centre in Lami this week. More than 250 women from 21 Pacific countries and territories have come together for the two meetings to endorse an accelerated plan for gender equality.

Women’s Triennial is the biggest and most powerful Pacific women’s meet, says Dr Tukuitonga.

“The high-level representation from various countries and territorie; the participation of partners from civil society and support of their development partners is timely,” Dr Tukuitonga said.

It comes as the region works towards finalising their Pacific Headline Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals.

In what is being seen as a major breakthrough for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the conference has approved a suggestion by Vanuatu, that two CSO representatives be invited to sit at the negotiating table with country Heads of Delegation. Vanuatu Head of Delegation Doris Day said the proposal recognised the valuable work women organisations and other CSOs have done for gender equality.