The impact of the global financial crisis in the Pacific cannot be fully addressed unless gender equality is integrated into all policy responses.

This was one of the key messages presented to delegates at a major three day conference held in Vanuatu earlier this month, which sought to chart a path forward for Pacific Island communities struggling with the combined effects of the global economic crisis, climate change and volatile food and fuel prices.

“Gender equality is fundamental for all the Pacific countries when we are addressing the world crisis, be it the economic crisis, climate change, governance, getting more women in business or achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” Merilyn Tahi, coordinator of the Vanuatu Women’s Centre, told the gathering.

“When there is no equality, the fundamental rights of individuals are abused ... It surfaces in various forms such as deliberate omission of women in governance, gender-based violence, sexual assault, abuse of human rights defenders, sorcery and under-resourced national women’s machineries,” she said.

It is estimated that at least two out of three people in the Pacific – or 6.44 million people – are potentially vulnerable to the impacts of the global economic crisis, mainly women, children and the elderly.

Danielle Willis, 17, from Palau, spoke on behalf of Pacific young people and told officials that the economic crisis, and the unemployment that followed, has had severe impacts on the lives of her peers.

“Frustration, tension and violence at home and within communities is increasing. Increased substance abuse worsens these situations. Girls and women are the most vulnerable due to existing gender inequality,” she said.

Social protection

The Pacific Conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis heard that households have been directly impacted through increasing unemployment, rising underemployment, reduced income from livelihood activities and falling overseas remittances.

This can result in less money to buy food, withdrawing children from school, increased gender-based violence and less use of health services, with serious consequences for long‐term development.

An increasing number of households have been unable to meet their basic needs and family and community support has not been available to struggling families.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Centre, based in Suva, calculates that in the 12 Pacific island countries for which data are available, the level of poverty has increased over the last two years.

In her keynote address, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said the ongoing economic crisis provides an opportunity to initiate or broaden social protection programmes that address the needs of the vulnerable, particularly of women and children.

“Measures which could be considered include school feeding programmes, cash and in-kind transfers to the most vulnerable and cash-for-work programmes,” she said.

She noted that while such measures were not cost free, the evidence suggested that they can have results which go beyond the temporary alleviation of suffering.

“Well designed, they can help make societies more crisis-resilient over the longer term and contribute to more stable and equitable growth,” Ms Clark said.

Resilient communities

The conference – which brought together national policy‐makers, parliamentarians, civil society, the private sector, youth representatives and development partners – sought to develop specific policies and joint actions to help mitigate the effects of the economic crisis and develop stronger, more resilient communities.

It identified six key areas for action:

• Improving efficiency and equity in public expenditure/management
• Social services, protection and infrastructure
• Income creation and promotion of the private sector and informal economy
• Improving data for evidence‐based policy, planning and monitoring
• Sustainable green growth and conservation of natural resources
• Strategic investments in information and communications technologies

Participants noted that strong leadership and good governance will be critical in delivering successful programmes and issues of gender equality, climate change and sustainable, inclusive economic growth must also be addressed in their design and implementation.

The Vanuatu Outcome Statement – to be finalised by early March – will be presented to the next meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, to be held in August.

Read more

• Draft Outcome Statement and key speeches from the Pacific Conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis