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The Pacific Islands Women’s Caucus is a network of women parliamentarians, women’s rights organisations and women’s rights activists aiming to increase the voice and influence of Pacific Women in democratic processes and decision making to advance women’s rights and development justice in the Pacific island and territories. It aims to ensure that women’s voices, rights, participation and representation are integrated in all Pacific regional processes, decisions, instruments, policies and structures.

The Caucus recognizes the need for collective mobilization of women parliamentarians, women’s human rights groups and activists for advocacies in the Pacific and aims to ensure that women’s voice, rights, participations and representations are integral to all Pacific regional processes, decisions, instruments, policies and structures. And that a sustainable and equitable community requires the empowerment and participation of all members of it, including women. The Caucus will model Pacific women’s leadership that is united, collaborative, democratic, accountable and transformative in advancing women’s rights and women’s agenda nationally, regionally and internationally.

The Caucus has two ‘wings’: a) a parliamentary caucus; and b) a civil society caucus. The Parliamentary Women’s Caucus will comprise of currently sitting women members of national parliaments and equivalent national legislative bodies from the Pacific islands and territories. The Civil Society Women’s Caucus will comprise of (and not limited to) former member of parliaments, women’s rights groups, organisations and activists from the Pacific islands and territories.

fbWhile the two Caucuses will have different composition, the Caucuses will work, facilitate, coordinate, collaborate, exchange and support each other for the purpose of engaging with various human rights and development processes and structures in the Pacific and beyond. The Caucus will also facilitate networking and engagement with women from outside the Pacific Islands and territories and other existing partnerships in the region. It will promote women’s voices in key debates in the Pacific, not only around topics designated as ‘women’s issues’, but more broadly to promote human rights and development justice for all. It will also play a key role in developing, implementing and monitoring policies impacting on women at local, national and regional levels.

Through its capacity-building, exchanges and networking activities, the caucus will be able to empower a movement that promotes women’s democratic participation and leadership. Women having a key role in developing, implementing and monitoring development policies at local, national, regional and international level ensures that the needs and voices of women from the Pacific island for a sustainable development is heard.

Herstory

The Pacific Women Caucus was an idea that first emerged during the Pacific Islands & Territories Sub-Regional Gender and Politics Training (28th– 30thJanuary 2014) in Suva, Fiji co-organized by APWLD and the Fiji Women’ Rights Movement (FWRM). 20 Pacific women parliamentarians, former parliamentarians, future parliamentarians, policy makers and civil society from 7 different islands participated in the training[1]. A follow-up discussion took place at APWLD’s 2ndAsia Pacific Feminist Forum (29th May – 1st June 2014) in Chiang Mai, Thailand that was attended by 22 women mostly from Pacific Islands and some from Asia[2].

If you are interested to learn more on the caucus or are interested to be part of it, please email diyana@apwld.org

[1]Alexis Wolfgramm (Cook Island), Anne Pakoa (Vanuatu), Betty Blake (Tonga), Baleisuva Huni (Tonga), Dame Carol Kidu (PNG), Emily Erasito (Fiji), Georgia Clarinda Molia (Solomon Island), Jerolie Navala Belabule (Solomon Island), Julie Soso (PNG), LaveniaPadarath (Fiji), LoujayaKouza (PNG), LosanaTuiraviravi (Fiji), Sari Rosa (West Papua), Marisa Pepa (Solomon Island), Mere Samisoni (Fiji), Monica Raghwan (Fiji), Nanise Nagusuca (Fiji), Priscilla Singh (Fiji), Tetangi Matapo (Cook Island), Shabina Khan (Fiji), Wendy Lina (Solomon Island), Walliamma Swamy (Fiji)

[2]Anjali Mutucumarana (USA), Anne Pakoa (Vanuatu), Baleisuva Huni (Tonga),Caroline Alberthine (Indonesia), Emily P. Cahilog (Philippines),Gizela Carvalho (Timor Leste), Janet Sape (PNG), Lesila Lokotui To’ia (Tonga), Nalini Singh (Fiji), Pei Yao Chen (USA), Priscilla Singh (Fiji), Rashila Ramli (Malaysia), Seema Naidu (Fiji), Sunee Singh (Nepal), Tamara Kruzag (PNG), Tavai Bale (Fiji), Usha Kiran Bhandari (Nepal), Virisila Buadromo (Fiji)