Outcome FIJ_D_4.2

Women lead preparedness for and response to natural disasters (FPI GIR Outcome 4)

Through the WPHF grants UN Women is ensuring women lead and meaningfully participate in preparedness and response to natural disasters. UN Women provides management, technical, capacity building and monitoring support to WPHF grantees. Current WPHF partners and their ongoing work: Gender machineries, women led CSO’s and services providers in the Solomon Islands (like the WPHF grantee-Malaita Provincial Council of Women (MPCW) have been supported by both the WPHF and UN Women’s Gender Inequality of Risk (GIR) programme during this reporting period through their participation at the Gender and Humanitarian Action (GiHA) workshop in Auki, the Solomon Islands (20th - 24th September). Gender machineries, women led CSO’s, and services providers included Protection Commitee Members, Malaita Provincial Council of Women, partners and directly enabling 25 participants (14 women and 11 men) to attend through the provision of financial support. Those who attended shared their experience and became voices of advocacy for women's participation in DRR and humanitarian action. Under the UN Women’s GIR programme, it has allowed the participation of gender machineries at the National Gender and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Forum in the Solomon Islands (15th-17th June). Gender machineries, women led CSO’s, and services providers included Isabel Provincial Council of Women, Malaita Provincial Council of Women, Vois Blo Mere and Solomon Islands National Council of Women as well as directly enabling 63 participants (51 women and 12 men) to attend through the provision of financial support. Those who attended shared their experience and became voices of advocacy for women's participation is DRR and humanitarian action. Medical Services Pacific, Fiji, a current WPHF funded grantee, was enabled through online capacity building sessions to increase visibility of their work including family planning services available in Fiji during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. A Gender Based Violence in Emergencies (GBVie) workshop was carried out with them virtually from the 25th - 27th October 2021. It was observed that during this workshop, there more women, 14 females compared to only 4 males. Participants attended from the Central, Western and Northern divisions. With the evaluation carried out, it was noted that knowledge increased consistently across the key training objectives, showing change in knowledge. Overall participant knowledge improved by 8%. Vanuatu Business Resilience Committee-Vanuatu, current WPHF grantee, staff attended and participated on a GiHA workshop that was organised by UNW. The workshop was carried out for five days targeting selected VBRC staff, Government Ministries and protection members. It was co-facilitated by both the Department of Women together with the UNW Vanuatu Country Office from 13th - 17th December 2021. This workshop has enabled participants to be more alert and prepared during any emergency periods. VBRC staff and protection members are more knowledgeable with better understanding on the gender and protection issues (child protection, gender-based violence, health to sexual reproductive health and disability) that always emerges during the event of a disaster. Most of the participants are better informed on different vulnerabilities that associate with the affected population during disaster and after disaster and capturing their needs in the humanitarian strategic plans for response The National Protection Committee (NPC) of the Ministry of Women in Solomon Islands: The Protection & Gender in Emergency Response Project addresses protection issues related to GBV and gender in emergencies. NPC carries out Gender Based Violence in Emergency (GBViE) training in the provinces to build the skills and knowledge of local level responders. The project has also supported the review and finalization of the Standard Operating Procedure for COVID-19 for the PDOC. The completion of the project implementation has been really affected due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and staff capacity. FemLINKpacific (Fiji): The Pacific Women’s Weather Watch (WWW) Project pivoted its activities towards COVID-19. These included, their last major event before the closure of the project in March 2021, the Regional WWW Learning Exchange . 10 women leaders from Fiji and 20 women leaders from Vanuatu gathered virtually in event due to border restrictions . As in the Fiji district convening, the participants were able to outline their preparedness , priorities during a humanitarian crisis, according to the 7 human security pillars – and plan out the preparedness needs for the next 5 Years e.g.women’s inclusiveness & participation at all levels, increase of emergency disaster fund allocation, expansion of community media etc. These priorities were channeled in various forums . The learning exchange between Fiji and Vanuatu women leaders revealed the impact that many of them are now having in their own communities in leading the crisis and benefiting from relief and response efforts. All 10 (100%) women leaders and divisional rural convenors and correspondents from Fiji wear various hats from being Red Cross volunteers, to heading the District Council of Social Services, or being an advisory Councillor or President of a women’s club – and thus are all front-liners in their own communities. The new Women’s in Resilience to Disaster’s programme is still in its initial implementation phase with the development of the country’s workplan (Fiji, Kiribati and Vanuatu) will be one of the main priorities this Quarter 1 2022.

Women lead preparedness for and response to natural disasters (FPI GIR Outcome 4)

Progress has been made in strengthening the capacity of organisations to lead and contribute to humanitarian preparedness and response through UN Women’s regional response covering several countries in the Pacific. Women-led organizations from Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have strengthened their knowledge and skills and are now more confident to lead in any emergency response after their meaningful participation in trainings, workshops, and meetings covering topics such as Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) and Gender Based Violence in Emergency (GBViE) that were co-facilitated by UN Women and relevant Government ministries across the three countries. In 2022, UN Women expanded its reach to the Northern Pacific to support organizations in humanitarian preparedness and response work. This has resulted in organisations in Palau having increased knowledge and skills on GiHA, GBViE through a dedicated training opportunity provided to the Palau Red Cross and its partners.