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Country Indexes
outcome XM-DAC-41146-FIJ_D_2.1
Inclusive, effective and representative marketplace groups are created and grow, contributing to gender, social and economic advancement, the elimination of gender-based discrimination and violence and expanded economic opportunities
During the reporting period, a total of 12 out of 13 marketplaces establish ed and register ed their Market Vendors Association (MVA). One of the main achievements under this particular outcome was the successful establishment and registration of the MVA for vendor trading at the Vunisea market on Kadavu, a new market that was funded through support from the New Zealand Government. All 13 market vendors association reported having at least 50% of women as part of their MVA executive members while 62% (8 out of 13) of the MVA reported having a woman as the president of the association. Over 3000 MVA members across the 12 municipal councils are frequently engaged to actively participate in the decision-making process on matters patterning to the coordination and management of the marketplaces. This is evidenced through the involvement of vendors in the key decision-making process toward minimizing COVID-19 spread in the marketplaces and in terms of food security. Nine of the 13 Market Vendors Association have initiated interventions to improve the socio-economic status of women and men in the markets. This included organizing and providing technical assistance to the member on their application for the Fiji Government loan to small business entrepreneurs to support them financially operating their business during this COVID 19 pandemic. The recognition of the Market Vendors Associations by the Fiji Government Ministry of Economy to hold its first-ever national budget consultation with the Market Vendors Associations. It brought together executive committee representatives of the 13 Market Vendors Associations to share their challenges during covid 19 in the marketplace and their role to effectively ensure safety protocols in the market for the business continuity of its members. Having the national budget consultation at the marketspace and involving market vendors in the process is a significant as it indicates the government's recognition of the market vendors contribution to the building of the national economy.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-FIJ_D_2.2
Improved socio-economic security of urban and rural women
Progress has been made under outcome 2 for this implementation period. With the training and initiative to get service providers to the markets for financial literacy and financial management along with training on smart agricultural practices, more women are now accessing financial services (including banking, credit, savings, insurance), practising record keeping & business management and there is also increase in market vendors farmers engaging in improved agricultural practices to improve productivity. UN Women contributed significantly to the results noted via UNDP who have played a huge role in connecting financial services providers like ANZ to the rural market vendors and partnering with stakeholders to provide free transportation of goods for remote market vendors to the nearest marketplace. In addition, the project collaborated with the UNCDF and the Consumer Council of Fiji, we are educating market vendors and farmers in Suva, Nausori, Sigatoka, and Labasa about parametric microinsurance.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-FIJ_D_2.3
Local governments and market management are gender responsive and accountable to women market vendor needs
In this reporting period, the second and third women market manager appointment was recorded which saw a female assuming the market manger role for Rakiraki and Levuka market. All the 13 marketplaces have maintained mechanism that was established to improve communication between market management and market vendors. In addition, all 13 marketplaces reported to have had the market management engaging in consultative process that had included the presents and inputs from the market vendors. An example was the nomination of Lautoka and Namaka market vendors association (MVA) executives being part of the government divisional stakeholders and task force committee. The executive members are also part of the Fiji Police and community policing committee for their respective local councils. UN Women through the Market for Change project contributed to the results achieved via trainings that empowered municipal markets to have mechanisms established to improve communication between market management and market vendors.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-FIJ_D_2.4
Markets physical infrastructure and operating systems are improved to make them more sustainable, resilient to disaster risks and climate change, safer and more accessible
Highlights under this particular outcome for this reporting period included the completion of the Ba women’s accommodation centre upgrades and refurbishing and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nausori market accommodation centre. The Nausori accommodation centre when completed, will be able to house at least 80 rural women at any one time and provide a safe and disability accessible space for the rural women who travel from the provinces of Rewa, Naitasiri, Tailevu including places as far as Rakiraki and Ba to come to the Nausori market to sell their produce. All the marketplace infrastructure development plan has been developed based on consultation with women and man market vendors. UN Women’s contribution was ensuring that its funded market project has been done in compliance with UNW Infrastructure Project Checklist and with the current Fiji Building Standard with the engineer approved and certified building plan to make the building and all upgrading works more resilient to the current climate change. UN Women had worked with the local government and council representatives to ensure work progressed with the Savusavu, Nausori, Levuka, and Kadavu markets.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-FIJ_D_3.1
Women and men in target communities demonstrate support to survivors of violence and practice balanced power in their relationships
Progress was made to contribute to this Outcome through primary prevention approaches and strategies that were adapted for COVID-19 with the aim to address harmful social norms at the individual and community level that drive VAWG, combined with targeted efforts to support women and girls who have experienced violence. Important progress was made in the following areas: Preventing Violence in Fiji’s Faith Communities, House of Sarah (HoS) The House of Sarah and the Anglican Church in Fiji continued to adapt and implement the “Preventing Violence Against Women in Fiji’s Faith Settings” (PVAWFFS) initiative that began in 2018 [1] . Implemented in three [2] Anglican Parishes PVAWFFS project uses SASA! Faith , an activist VAWG prevention model developed by Raising Voices, Uganda and Trocaire, Ireland. The SASA! Faith model takes the structure, process, and content of SASA! and adapts it for use by religious communities. In 2021, the Awareness Phase was completed in March 2021 and the Support Phase began in April 2022. Despite the significant impacts of COVID-19, more individuals were reached in 2021 compared to 2020. A total of 1,824 [SR1] community members were reached in 2021 as a result of 332 in-person activities and 30 virtual or COVID-19 safe activities led by 30 Community Activists (CAs) from the Anglican parishes, in partnership with church leaders, vestry members and women’s ministries. The bulk of in-person activities were conducted as a part of Awareness Phase from January to March 2021. The SASA! Faith community mobilization approach targets approximately 2,500 people in the three Anglican communities. In 2021, 73% [SR2] of the target population engaged with VAWG prevention content. Evidence from the end-of-Awareness Phase Rapid Assessment Survey showed that faith community members in all three parishes demonstrated a positive change in knowledge and attitudes towards violence against women and girls based on the PVAWFFS programme. Community members were able to demonstrate knowledge of the meaning of “power”, the fact that men’s power over women is the root cause of violence against women and the differentiation between types of violence against women and their consequences. Furthermore, community members demonstrated a shift in attitudes that support the following statements: Violence against women is never acceptable. Women and men can move beyond the roles society sets for them. Balanced power between women and men is healthy, safe and benefits both. Everyone has power. Women should not be blamed for violence against them. Violence against women is a community issue, not a private issue. The PVAWFFS programme further demonstrated an increased ability to engage across all levels of influence and strengthen community-based relationships with partners. In particular, the House of Sarah successfully engaged the Fiji Police Force – Southern Division, including the Divisional Police Commander Southern for the purposes of strengthening their engagement within the Community Action Group network of the programme. The Fiji Police Force plays a critical role at national and local levels with mandates to uphold community safety, specifically as a frontline provider of safety and security for survivors of violence and provider of Domestic Violence Restraining Orders (DVRO). With significant advocacy and engagement, a strengthened relationship evolved between the PVAWFFS staff and Community Activists, and the police. A series of information sharing sessions on key issues pertaining to unequal power relations between men and women were conducted, including a session with 15 senior police officers from the Southern Division. Regular meetings (pending COVID-19 regulations for in-person meetings) with the DPC Southern and senior staff were held throughout the year to identify key issues, gaps and ways forward. Other partners regularly engaged by the House of Sarah include the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Medical Services Pacific and Empower Pacific. Despite the restrictive nature of COVID-19 in Fiji, the House of Sarah and PVAWFFS programme were able to pivot into a series of adaptations including: virtual engagement with community members, integration of COVID-19 considerations in sessions on VAWG, internal skills-building and reflection with staff and Community Activists on digital engagement and self-care practices. The House of Sarah adapted Raising Voices’ global guidance and materials on COVID-19 [3] for Fiji’s context and in i-Taukei language. The materials were shared via social media, what’s app / viber groups and in in-person engagements when restrictions eased. In partnership with UN Women, Raising Voices continued to provide technical assistance to the House of Sarah including trainings on M&E database and COVID-19 adaptations. UN Women continues to work in close partnership with the House of Sarah to implement the PVAWFFS programme and ensure the sustainability of the programme’s outcomes and impact. In 2021, the programme launched the Support Phase, which is well underway for a revised completion in quarter two of 2022 due to COVID-19. Indication of this sustainability at the community level was shared during UN Women and House of Sarah’s annual reflection workshop: Increased interestShowing 1 - 5 of 14