14 women undergo training on promoting gender equality and human rights

14 feminists, activists, human rights defenders, community trainers, legal practitioners and counsellors from six Pacific Small Islands Developing States underwent a one-week training in promoting gender equality and human rights.

The participants for the workshop were from the Fiji Women’s Crisis Center, Mending Minds Foundation Fiji, femLINKpacific, Sista Vanuatu, Brown Girl Woke Samoa, Tuvalu Women in Change Association (Fatu Lei), Solomon Islands Women in Media and Communication, Planned Parenthood Association Solomon Islands and the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement.

FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh says their ethos centered on the belief that any policy and legislative change on key women's rights issues in the Pacific region must be led and advocated by the women's rights groups, organizations, feminists, human rights defenders and activists, and in doing that means strengthening the capacities of the women across movements.

She says the five-day training sessions were educational, informative, thought-provoking and engaging.

Prem Singh of Mending Minds Foundation Fiji says through discussions, personal narratives and case studies, the FWRM trainers familiarized their team with the Standards of Conduct on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and their obligations to uphold these standards, what we can do to prevent Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and how to report such abuses.

She says they are readily committed to continue this journey of advocating for the protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the Pacific.

Meanwhile, the FWRM acknowledges the support of the Australian government through the We Rise Coalition, ICAAD and sisters from the region for making the week-long Regional Feminist Learning Convening an enriching and fulfilling one.