Outcome FIJ_D_1.1

By 2027, people enjoy and contribute to more accountable, inclusive, resilient and responsive governance systems that promote gender equality, climate security, justice and peace, ensure participation, and protect their human rights. [CF Outcome 4]

In 2025, governance processes in Fiji and the Solomon Islands advanced during the year through formal integration of civil society priorities within national peace, political reform, and international accountability frameworks. Ministries and civil society actors operated through validated draft policy frameworks, coordinated advocacy platforms, documented reform proposals, and defined follow-up mechanisms for international review processes. Three state-led policy and peace processes incorporated civil society recommendations, most notably through joint validation and implementation planning for a revised Women, Peace and Security framework in the Solomon Islands. In Fiji, women’s organisations consolidated nationally endorsed advocacy positions that now guide engagement with government institutions on peacebuilding and political reform. At the regional level, engagement with international accountability mechanisms proceeded through structured national preparation, formal reporting responsibilities, and consolidated coordination arrangements. Across these areas, governance engagement moved beyond consultations toward documented agreements, shared reference positions, and defined institutional responsibilities. These developments strengthened inclusive participation, institutional responsiveness, and sustained engagement in public decision-making, contributing to progress toward SDG 5.5 on women’s participation in leadership and SDG 16 on inclusive and accountable institutions. Fiji: Women-Led Peacebuilding and Public Engagement In Fiji, women-led peacebuilding priorities are consolidated within a formally endorsed Outcome Statement that now structures engagement with government institutions on social cohesion and inclusive governance. The statement emerged from a National Intergenerational Dialogue involving 53 women and girls across ethnic, faith, age, and disability groups and serves as a shared reference point for coordinated advocacy and engagement. Participation in peacebuilding also expanded during the year. Eighty-three women and girls engaged in structured dialogue and violence prevention initiatives, including 30 adolescent girls, nine of whom were persons with disabilities. Through these platforms, participants demonstrated increased confidence in public discussion and strengthened understanding of referral pathways and conflict prevention mechanisms. Peace and social cohesion dialogue is now conducted through coordinated, multi-group platforms rather than isolated community sessions, enabling sustained and inclusive participation. Political Reform and Institutional Readiness National dialogue on women’s political representation in Fiji now operates through coordinated institutional analysis and documented reform proposals addressing structural barriers to representation. Government officials and women advocates are engaging political actors using a shared evidence base on gender parity and temporary special measures. Draft advocacy messages and reform strategies were consolidated into a national Advocacy Playbook that informs ongoing electoral reform discussions. Measured results show strengthened analytical and positioning capacity: the proportion of participants reporting the highest level of understanding of structural barriers to women’s representation increased from 37 per cent to 88 per cent; support for gender parity measures increased from 42 per cent to 94 per cent; and confidence in analysing power dynamics more than doubled. Engagement on women’s political participation proceeds within reform discussions through documented analysis and coordinated institutional positioning. Solomon Islands: Peace and Security Governance National peace and security planning in the Solomon Islands is now proceeding through joint validation and agreed coordination between government ministries and civil society actors. The draft Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan II (2026–2030) was revised through ten national and provincial consultations involving more than 180 stakeholders and validated by 24 representatives (18 women, 6 men). The validated draft incorporates agreed priorities on provincial engagement, coordination mechanisms, monitoring arrangements, climate resilience, and digital safety. The Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs and the Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs confirmed next steps for finalisation and implementation planning, establishing coordinated oversight arrangements at national and provincial levels. Safer and Sustained Civic Participation As engagement in political reform and public advocacy becomes more structured, civil society organisations are strengthening safeguards to sustain participation in increasingly visible public and digital spaces. In the Solomon Islands, 31 civil society leaders, including 28 indigenous women, adopted strengthened organisational data protection and cyber hygiene measures in response to research showing that 51 per cent of women-led civil society organisations experienced online harassment and 53 per cent faced recurring disinformation campaigns. Participating organisations introduced practical safeguards to protect staff, secure communications, and sustain public engagement. Across both countries, civic engagement platforms are operating with clearer participation structures and defined coordination mechanisms. Public dialogue on peacebuilding, political reform and accountability now takes place within coordinated spaces supported by agreed participation norms and risk mitigation measures, enabling continued involvement of women and girls in governance processes in line with broader gender equality commitments. Regional Accountability and International Engagement Regionally, 2025 marked a significant moment in Pacific engagement with international gender equality accountability mechanisms. In April, the full United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women convened a Technical Cooperation Session in Suva, Fiji — the first time the Committee held a session outside Geneva and the first full review session conducted within the Pacific region. Twelve Pacific Island Countries strengthened their readiness to engage with the Convention in advance of and during this session. Fiji, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu undertook constructive dialogues with the CEDAW Committee, and Fiji established a national CEDAW Taskforce to coordinate cross-ministerial implementation of recommendations, formalising national follow-up arrangements. Formal reporting processes were reinforced during the year, with five United Nations Country Team confidential reports submitted to the Committee. At the multilateral level, Pacific delegations from Tuvalu, Samoa, and Tonga advanced regional priorities at the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women through coordinated national preparation. As a result, national accountability engagement across the Pacific now operates through coordinated preparation, formal reporting, and defined follow-up mechanisms within international review processes. Across these engagements, accountability processes are carried out through documented reporting responsibilities, structured national coordination and defined follow-up arrangements, strengthening implementation of gender equality commitments aligned with SDG 5 and SDG 16. UN Women provided technical advice, convening support, and coordination in partnership with national ministries, CSOs, regional institutions and development partners, including financial support from the Government of Australia, the European Union under the WYDE–Women’s Leadership Initiative and the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.

By 2027, people enjoy and contribute to more accountable, inclusive, resilient and responsive governance systems that promote gender equality, climate security, justice and peace, ensure participation, and protect their human rights. [CF Outcome 4]

Transforming Pacific Governance through Advancing Gender Equality, Climate Security, and Peace Across the Pacific region in 2024, governance systems showed progress toward greater accountability, inclusivity, and responsiveness through strengthened institutional practices and enhanced participation mechanisms. These improvements, particularly in advancing gender equality and integrating climate security considerations, are evidenced by specific changes in institutional practices, policy development, and multi-stakeholder engagement across multiple countries. The Solomon Islands government has demonstrated improved human rights protection, increasing CEDAW legislative compliance from 20% to 29% while reducing non-compliance from 51% to 46%. In the development of the country’s second Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan, women leaders and women-led organizations, including the Disabilities Women's Empowerment Association, are now actively shaping security sector decisions. Their leadership has resulted in new climate security measures that specifically address the needs of women in coastal communities, marking a shift in how the security sector responds to climate-related challenges. In Kiribati, the Ministry of Women has successfully integrated specialized community needs into justice, protection, and social support reforms through strengthened civil society-government collaboration. This integration reflects the effective coordination role of AMAK, the national umbrella organization for women's NGOs, which ensures policy decisions benefit from diverse expertise - from the Kiribati Women and Children Support Center's focus on gender-based violence response, to Nei Mom Uprising's grassroots work with young mothers, alongside the broader community health and social support perspectives of the Red Cross Society and Family Health Association. Government institutions have demonstrated their responsiveness by actively incorporating these varied community priorities into institutional reforms. These initiatives are coinciding with other concrete improvements in service delivery in Kiribati. Kiribati's institutions have strengthened their systematic response to gender-based violence through coordinated reforms. The Kiribati Police Service has institutionalized trauma-informed care practices in their standard procedures, while the judiciary has adapted court processes to address geographical barriers through the revised Magistrates' Bench Book. The multi-sectoral coordination between the Police Service, Attorney General's Office, and CSOs has established structured pathways for protection services, with the Policy on Elimination of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence now incorporating analysis of climate-related vulnerabilities. Through coordination, these changes are expected to improve access to justice and protection services for women and girls, particularly those in outer islands. Pacific CSOs have grown in their influence, as seen in their participation, acknowledgement, leadership and co-creation across eleven key policy processes in 2024. This enhanced role is evidenced through three levels of engagement: formal representation in regional conferences (CSW68, Asia-Pacific Ministerial, 15th Triennial), co-creator status alongside government in the Beijing Platform for Action+30 review, and implementation oversight responsibilities in SIDS4. Their growing influence in shaping climate-security discourse is demonstrated at CSW68, where a SIDS-focused side event specifically addressed the connection between gender and climate resilience. At the national level, this influence is particularly evident in the Solomon Islands, where women representatives in the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan review successfully advocated for the integration of climate security considerations by drawing from women's direct experiences with extreme weather events and highlighting gender-specific vulnerabilities in climate-related security challenges. This expanded influence extends to other national policy processes, including the Solomon Islands CEDAW review and four Kiribati policies. Palau's national legislature has achieved increased women's representation, with five women now serving as legislators following a coordinated #Vote4WomenPalau campaign that fielded twelve candidates. This change in the composition of the legislature strengthens women's voice in national decision-making processes. The outcomes are demonstrating improvements in governance systems that better serve Pacific communities through improved collaboration between government institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners. In 2024, these have led to enhanced mechanisms for women's participation in climate security planning, more accessible justice services for women in outer islands, and structured pathways for CSO engagement in policy development. Furthermore, these outcomes are supporting Pacific governments implement regional frameworks, including the Revitalized Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration and 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, with contributions to the Pacific United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDCF) Peace Pillar.

By 2027, people enjoy and contribute to more accountable, inclusive, resilient and responsive governance systems that promote gender equality, climate security, justice and peace, ensure participation, and protect their human rights. [CF Outcome 4]

This outcome is on track. The resolute commitment of political will and renewed focus demonstrated by Pacific Leaders has forged a pathway for the greater involvement and empowerment of women and girls throughout the Pacific, for the full realization of their rights. The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting committed to a revitalized Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration (PLDGED) in November 2023, marking a significant stride towards placing gender equality in climate security, justice, and peace at the forefront of regional priorities. The revitalized PLGED is not a new instrument but rather is an extension of the first PLGED endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2012. This high-level declaration outlines specific policy actions aimed at advancing gender equality across critical domains, including government programmes, policies, decision-making processes, economic empowerment, health, education, and combating violence against women. The revitalized PLGED demands heightened commitment across all levels and calls for forging new transformative partnerships and investments. Moreover, the new PLGED emphasizes the need for stronger leadership to enhance governance, ownership, and accountability of the Declaration. This will be facilitated through mechanisms such as the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meetings, annual Forum Leaders Meetings, and other ministerial gatherings at regional and international platforms. UN Women played a central role in refining the language of the revitalized PLGED during the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting (PIFWLM), through collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and a Technical Reference Group. This demonstration of political will by Pacific Leaders has reaffirmed UN Women’s support across the Pacific for positive changes toward more accountable, inclusive, resilient, and responsive governance systems. These changes are marked by a commitment to promoting gender equality, justice, and peace while ensuring the protection of human rights and the safe and meaningful participation of women and girls. The transformative initiatives highlighted below show how these commitments are leading to more just, inclusive, and gender-responsive societies: Solomon Islands - Strengthening the Family Protection Act (FPA): In the Solomon Islands, efforts to strengthen the Family Protection Act (FPA) involved extensive consultations reaching more than 200 women, emphasizing diversity and grassroots inclusion. The review of the FPA identified gender disparities in the appointments of local-level Authorized Justices, dismantling discriminatory norms and practices, and exposing systemic barriers in the implementation of the FPA. The outcome of the review was transformative, propelling women into leadership roles. The Ministry of Justice, with UN Women’s support, has developed of a comprehensive policy paper advocating for increased women's representation as Authorised Justices in the local court systems. The paper awaits Cabinet approval and reflects a shift towards an inclusive justice system. Early signs of increased confidence in the system have seen an increase in the number of community members, led by women, utilizing these community justice services. Kiribati - Addressing Gender-Based Violence in High Court: In Kiribati, the Judiciary is committed to addressing gender-based violence, reflected in the willingness to implement new the High Court Civil Procedure Rules pertaining to claims or defence that also involve women and children. UN Women support played a crucial role in this process, contributing to the advancement of the Kiribati National Approach to Eliminating Sexual and Gender-based Violence Policy and National Action Plan. Tonga: Integrating Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality Policy - Tonga has made groundbreaking strides by integrating the Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality Tonga (WEGET) Policy into the national corporate planning process. Joint meetings between relevant departments and UN Women resulted in a comprehensive plan of action, strategically assessing gender-inclusive actions, budgets, and policies within government ministries. Fiji - Fiji Country Gender Assessment (FCGA): The Fiji Government launched the FCGA, the first of its kind in the Pacific region, providing a holistic analysis of gender issues across various sectors of Fiji’s society, including health, economy, education, environment, gender-based violence, social and cultural norms, leadership, and decision-making. More than a compilation of statistics, the FCGA embodies a commitment to the “Leave No One Behind” principle, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality. UN Women’s ongoing support includes identifying gaps in data landscapes and institutionalizing the FCGA across government ministries for evidence-based policy dialogues. Fiji- Voluntary National Review (VNR) and SDG 5 Reporting: Furthermore, Fiji took a proactive step by undertaking and submitting a Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2023. In doing so, Fiji demonstrated its increasing commitment to ensuring progress towards implementing the global agenda, promoting accountability and cooperation and fostering exchanges of best practices and mutual learning. UN Women played a crucial role in the VNR consultation, providing vital data and resources for the SDG 5 section of the report. Samoa - Integrating Gender-Responsive Policies: – Progress has been made in Samoa by integrating gender-responsive policies across various government ministries, led by the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development (MWCSD). Achievements include improved capabilities in gender-responsive budgeting within key ministries, such as Finance, Commerce, Industry, Labour, and Agriculture. The Ministry actively establishes connections between gender-responsive policies and ministerial budgets, using contextualized Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) tools. Samoa: Building a gender-responsive media: Furthermore, a gender-sensitive media environment is emerging in Samoa. Through rigorous capacity building for media personnel and the provision of a Media Training Manual and the Samoan Glossary of Gender Terms, media practitioners are now equipped with essential tools for gender-sensitive reporting. This initiative is actively shaping a media landscape that is inclusive and reflects a heightened awareness and sensitivity towards gender issues, contributing to a more impactful and inclusive media environment. Technical guidance from UN Women continues to support these initiatives for a more comprehensive approach. In 2023, UN Women continued to advance gender-responsive governance through critical intergovernmental processes such as CSW67, COP28, and the High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework. This work involved extensive advocacy in preparatory work, engagements with Governments and coalition building. This support often leverages collaborations with Pacific regional organisations PIFS (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat) and SPC (Pacific Community) and highlights a responsive and adaptive approach to facilitating engagement in transformative processes. Further to this, UN Women took the lead role in crafting confidential reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. These reports were submitted on behalf of the United Nations Country Teams (UNCT). The joint presentation conducted by UN Women in collaboration with the Resident Coordinator’s Office reinforces the commitment to comprehensive reporting and accountability.