Pacific Islands Forum

Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) and the Pacific Island Forum

The Pacific Islands Forum (formerly known as the South Pacific Forum) was founded in August 1971 and today includes 16 independent and self-governing states from the Pacific.

Members are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Fiji is currently suspended. Click here for Amnesty International's position on Fiji.

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat coordinates the annual gathering of leaders (this year in Auckland New Zealand, September 6-9) and manages the implementation of the Pacific Plan for strengthening regional cooperation and integration. For a brief overview of the Pacific Plan click here.

Amnesty International believes that one of the biggest threats to Pacific development is that more than half the Pacific's population - it’s women – are discriminated against. Only when the rights of Pacific women are fully realised will the Pacific reach its aspirations for economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security.

It’s why we’re urging “Pacific leaders” to change the lights on women’s rights”. It’s a message strongly supported by New Zealanders - many of them Pacific Islanders.

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is an entrenched, systematic and widespread human rights problem in the Pacific, impacting on average two in three women in the region.

It has a devastating impact not only on individual women, but on communities and on the Pacific region as a whole. Sexual and gender-based violence is the ultimate physical manifestation of discrimination and this discrimination against women is pervasive in almost all spheres of Pacific societies, especially in the way women are treated in law. This issue is compounded by the fact that few countries possess specific legislation outlawing gender-based violence.

In 2009 in a milestone for Pacific women, Pacific Island leaders at the Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting (PIF) committed to eradicate SGBV and in 2010 at Port Vila, Vanuatu leaders supported the initiative for the establishment of a Reference Group to combat SGBV.

Since then, the Reference Group has met in Fiji and conducted country visits to Tonga and the Solomon Islands; meeting with a range of stake holders and interest groups.

The Reference Group and key non-governmental organisations in the region have been instrumental in their efforts to work with Pacific Island governments to prepare policies and draft legislation to address the issue.

While only Vanuatu has specific legislation and Fiji has enacted decrees to address violence against women (issues of ineffective enforcement of these laws remain) and at least eight countries in the region have created policies or drafted legislation; progress on enacting concrete protections of women remain stop/start.

Amnesty International acknowledges that these policies and draft bills provide an important platform for a comprehensive protection framework for Pacific women and their families; but until these promises, policies and draft bills are implemented into law, they provide no tangible protection to Pacific women.

Amnesty International is concerned at this lack of real protection of Pacific women, despite the commitment by leaders to address this issue. This is why, at the 2011 Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting Amnesty International is calling on Pacific leaders to “change the lights on women’s rights” and take concrete measures to enact draft legislation into law to ensure effective implementation of polices and action plans that have been created to address SGBV.

Pacific Leaders must change the lights on women’s rights by:

Completing comprehensive draft legislation to specifically address SGBV,
Enacting that legislation to ensure policy initiatives are followed and protection is available,
Repealing laws that discriminate against women.

It is imperative that leaders step up to create an effective legal framework that ensures real protection of women, because as the clock ticks, Pacific women remain at risk.

Click here for our Regional Overview and Call to Action.

Achievements at the Pacific Islands Forum

During this year’s Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting Amnesty International called on visiting Pacific leaders to “change the lights on women’s rights” at a number of exciting events.