US commits $1.5M grant to support SPC's Pacific Energy and Gender Initiative

The United States of America has provided a $1.5 million US grant to support the SPC's Pacific Energy and Gender initiative for the next three years.

While officiating at the event, the US Ambassador to Fiji, Marie Damour, says we all know the Pacific is already suffering from the effects of climate change, whether that's by flooding, drought, heat waves, sea level rise or more intense cyclones.

The Ambassador says women and girls here face growing burdens as they function within and adapt to this dramatically changing environment.

She says as women and girls often shoulder so much responsibility to sustain their households, the solutions to the climate crisis need to focus on increasing resilience among communities in a way that promotes inclusivity and equity for women.

She further says that this is why the United States focuses on gender in its response to climate change, both at home and in our work abroad.

Former Minister for Women, Mereseini Rakuita, says today marks the beginning of the project activities through the gracious award of funding by the US government.

Rakuita says due to the impacts of climate change and the challenges faced by all women, we are under threat.

She says they know that meeting the needs of the communities depends on consulting and involving all the Pacific peoples in their great diversity.

The former Minister says the project will improve the gender responsiveness of energy policy, enhance employment opportunities for women in clean energy, and improve the knowledge and skills of women to increase their participation in the clean energy value chain.