Outcome FIJ_O_2

Advancing partnerships and resourcing

In 2024, UN Women Fiji MCO strategically advanced partnerships and resource mobilization to strengthen gender equality initiatives across the Pacific region. Through deliberate engagement with governments, donors, private sector entities, and regional organizations, the office positioned itself to catalyse systemic changes in gender equality approaches while fostering local ownership of sustainable development initiatives. The establishment of the dedicated Humanitarian and Climate Action portfolio strengthens UN Women's capacity to influence systemic change in regional humanitarian response while expanding strategic partnerships. Through its leadership position within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and role as Chair of the Pacific Humanitarian Protection Cluster, the office has positioned itself as a key convener and technical resource for advancing the institutionalization of gender, protection, and social inclusion mainstreaming across humanitarian frameworks. This structural placement not only enables the office to shape policy development and implementation practices across multiple agencies but also creates opportunities for resource mobilization and sustained partnership engagement, working toward normalized integration of gender-responsive approaches in humanitarian action. By leveraging these institutional relationships, the office strengthens its ability to secure resources and technical support for gender-responsive humanitarian programming across the Pacific region. The secured Peace Building Fund agreement for the Solomon Islands demonstrates successful resource mobilization while strengthening strategic partnerships for gender-responsive governance. This funding success not only supports mechanisms for women's leadership and participation but also establishes a foundation for sustained collaboration between UN Women, the Peace Building Fund, and national stakeholders. The Fiji MCO initiated resource planning for the Women's Resilience to Disasters program's second phase, reinforcing its commitment to addressing Pacific women's vulnerabilities through innovative programming. A promising private sector engagement commenced through discussions with Marriott hotels and the Australian National Committee, working to create direct market access channels for women artisans in Fiji. This developing partnership aims to enable women to showcase and sell handicrafts in Marriott-affiliated hotel souvenir shops, demonstrating an innovative approach to economic empowerment through market-driven solutions. Resource mobilization diversified through strategic initiatives with RedR focusing on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. The office submitted targeted proposals to DFAT posts in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu to support flagship programs including the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Phase II) and Markets for Change (Phase II). Engagement with USAID, the High Commission of Canada, and Pacific Women Lead under the Pacific Community established groundwork for future resource mobilization and technical assistance. Institutionalized donor roundtable meetings strengthened collaboration with traditional partners like Canada and New Zealand while creating structured opportunities for dialogue with emerging donors. The office's advocacy and communications efforts contributed to advancing gender equality priorities in regional discussions. Through its support at the 8th Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, the office facilitated dialogue on integrating gender equality priorities into the 2050 Blue Pacific Continent Strategy, representing ongoing efforts to strengthen gender-responsive approaches in regional development planning. High-profile events strengthened program visibility and institutional influence, notably through the CSW68 side event at UN Headquarters that elevated Pacific SIDS priorities. The Gender Equality Forum at SIDS4, with UN Women's support, produced a strategic communique calling for a SIDS Gender Action Plan with concrete implementation targets and accountability mechanisms. At the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in the Marshall Islands, the office deepened bilateral engagement with 10 Pacific Island countries and development partners. A significant milestone in institutional transformation emerged with the CEDAW Committee's agreement to hold a 2025 session in Fiji, signalling a shift in how international mechanisms adapt to regional contexts and improve access to human rights frameworks. At the Gender Equality Forum in Antigua & Barbuda, the office strategically showcased its regional impact by distributing 250 comprehensive Programme Briefs to government officials, civil society representatives, and global advocates from over 40 countries. The Markets for Change impact stories featuring women from Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, and Solomon Islands documented tangible shifts in economic empowerment, presented through fact sheets at key events including the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Beijing+30 Review and CHOGM. These evidence-based materials, aligned with UN Women Headquarters' communication guidelines, effectively highlighted Pacific women's achievements through gender statistics and impact narratives. Media engagement deepened through support for three journalists who produced 12 specialized articles, complemented by creating visual storytelling tools featuring Markets for Change impact stories. The office strengthened its digital presence by producing 16 stories for the Asia-Pacific website and two features for the global platform, enhancing evidence-based advocacy capabilities and regional visibility. The expanded communications and advocacy reach created new pathways for changing social norms by connecting urban and rural audiences effectively. The office has significantly surpassed its 2024 social media engagement target, reaching 48,883 total followers against a goal of 45,000 - exceeding the target by 3,883 followers (8.6% above target). This represents sustained growth (3.35% increase) from 2023's base of 47,300 followers. Facebook follower numbers increased to 34,483 (maintaining approximately 29,000 likes), while Twitter grew to 14,400 followers. The office's media presence exceeded its 2024 target of 350 mentions, achieving 889 total mentions across platforms, including 500 Facebook mentions (averaging 43 per month), 353 Twitter/X engagements (averaging 30 per month, with at least 14 appearing in top mentions), and 36 mainstream media articles. Additionally, the office achieved visual presence through 12 credited images or representations in mainstream media. Digital engagement demonstrated significant growth, with Facebook reach increasing by 95.9% to 99.9k users, page visits rising by 96.2% to 16.6k, and gaining 993 new followers, representing 37.3% growth. This expansion reflects evolving patterns of information sharing and advocacy, with communities taking increasing ownership of gender equality messaging and amplifying it through their networks. Through these coordinated interventions, the Fiji MCO has demonstrated its effectiveness in leveraging partnerships and expanding its communications and advocacy capabilities while securing sustainable resources for advancing gender equality.

Advancing partnerships and resourcing

The Fiji MCO aims to continue to enhance its visibility, attract financial support, and secure sustainable resourcing for the delivery of its mandate in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in the Pacific region. The recent update of two of its important strategies, namely the Media and Communications Strategy, and the Resource Mobilization Strategy will guide the Fiji MCO in this regard for the duration of the SN period, 2023-2027. The Fiji MCO maintains its upward trajectory in social media engagement, witnessing an increase of 9.6 percent from its 2022 baseline of 43,145 followers. In terms of has social media presence, the Fiji MCO has a total of 47,300 followers, enhancing visibility and outreach across digital platforms. Regular engagement is ongoing with existing traditional partners, including donors and members of the Gender Theme Group. These are important avenues for the MCO to provide updates on the initiatives, achievements, progress made and challenges in addressing gender equality and women's empowerment. There is also ongoing exploration of opportunities for collaborative initiatives with traditional partners, emphasizing shared goals and mutual benefits to increase support for and financing of the gender equality agenda while securing sustainable resourcing. This collaborative approach has been successful for the Fiji MCO in strengthening existing partnerships and attracting additional support for two of its largest projects, the Markets for Change Project and the Pacific Partnership to End VAWG. Both projects commenced Phase II in 2023. The same approach is taken for current ongoing efforts for the design of Phase II of the Women in Leadership in Samoa (WILS) project. In 2023, the Fiji MCO embarked on a transformative journey, establishing novel partnerships with non-traditional allies, each contributing to different levels of impact. Through a groundbreaking collaboration with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), grassroots women were empowered with access to an innovative parametric microinsurance product, finely attuned to gender equality objectives. This initiative has had a profound impact, expediting recovery for women in Fiji following natural disasters, amplifying resilience at the grassroots level. Simultaneously, a landmark agreement with the University of the South Pacific marked a significant milestone, paving the way for the development of gender-inclusive disaster risk reduction postgraduate courses. This pioneering effort is cultivating a cohort of skilled professionals poised to navigate the intricate challenges facing the Pacific region. Additionally, the engagement with the highest office in Kiribati, the Office of the President, stands as a testament to strategic collaboration yielding tangible results. This important collaboration is leading the way in embedding gender considerations into national disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation policies, strategies, resource allocations, and long-term planning, catalyzing a shift towards sustainable solutions, and ensuring a more resilient future Kiribati citizens. Furthermore, the Fiji MCO is building its meaningful engagement of youths, aiming to empower and enable youth to understand, realise and claim their rights, and develop their agency towards active citizenship for advancing gender equality and long-term sustainable development in the region. A deliberate action has been through the creation of space for youth delegates to be part of decision-making processes through the WRD National Programme Management Committees in Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. This inclusivity will enrich the decision-making process by bringing in diverse viewpoints but also strengthens partnerships with youth organizations and communities. While no youth took up these seats in 2023, the Fiji MCO will actively be pursuing their uptake by youths in 2024 to advance partnerships and ensure their meaningful participation in decision-making processes. This is expected to foster a sense of ownership and investment among young people in their country disaster risk reduction initiatives and also enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of these local actions. This proactive approach to engaging youth reflects a strategic investment in building partnerships and securing resources for advancing gender equality and sustainable development in the region.