3rd Pacific Feminist Forum 2022-23

The third PFF was organized in extra-ordinary times where women’s human rights in the Oceanic Pacific region are facing the harsh impacts of COVID-19 on all women’s lived experiences and realities, severe climate injustice, the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world and having the lowest rate of women in parliament. This has resulted in an urgent call for reviving feminist solidarity. The 3rd PFF is taking a different modality beginning with 11 National Feminist Forums happening simultaneously in different countries before coming together for the regional 3rd PFF, which was held in May 2023 with the theme “Embracing the collective power of our movements”.

Gallery

Final-Programme-PFF-2023 Download

3rd PFF Opening Address:

Pacific Feminist Forum Outcome Document 2023 Download

3rd PFF ends: Unity in diversity and amongst Pacific feminists urgent to continue advocacy on
women’s rights in the Pacific

Release Date: 16/05/23

The strength of feminist solidarity and unity of strong, diverse Pacific women was the highlight of the 3rd Pacific Feminist Forum as participants concluded the three day extensive programme last week at the Pearl Resort, Pacific Harbour.

Participants said goodbye to one another with music, meke and singing acknowledging each other with gratitude for the connections made, the learnings from the event and the platform provided to share their experiences and lived realities with strategies to push their issues to the
global audience.

The 3rd PFF was supported by the Australian Government through both the We Rise Coalition and the Pacific Women Lead at Pacific Community (PWL at SPC), and UN Women through the global Spotlight Initiative of the United Nations which had received generous support from the European Union.

The conclusion of the programme also produced an outcomesstatement that listed the demands of feminists and women’s human rights defenders which highlighted issues of decolonization and identity challenges, the climate change crisis and displacement of homes in low lying islands in
the region, lack of women in leadership spaces and more.

The Pacific feminists recognised the need for a platform such as the PFF as a space for them to speak on urgent issues from their island countries.

“The PFF provides an opportunity for us to be able to come and share our experiences from the different countries we come from and to advocate for women’s rights and promote gender equality,” said Solomon Islander Ender Rence of Women in Media and Communications.

Joey Joleen Mataele, Executive Director and co-founder of the Tonga Leitis’ Association said, “The PFF is important to me because I get to have a voice in room full of diverse of women from all parts of the Pacific. Having to get your voice being heard and you’re not just talking about your own country but rather the whole of the rainbow community in the Pacific.”

rThe final outcomes statement will be available soon and the issues raised were also highlighted at the Women Deliver event that was held at the same venue last week, and will be shared at upcoming events in Melbourne and Kigali.

ENDS

For media queries, please email info@fwrm.org.fj or call 8677 330

3rd-Annual-PFF-Keynote-Speakers-2 Download

3rd PFF Working Group

The 3rd Pacific Feminist Forum was supported by:

National Feminist Forum 2022

The first ever Vanuatu National Feminist Forum (VNFF) took place on November 17-18, 2022, in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The Forum was organized as part of the 3rd Pacific Feminist Forum, with the theme of Embracing the Collective Power of our Movements and joined the national forums in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Cook Islands and Palau.

The First Ever inaugural National Feminist Forum for Solomon Islands was successfully held in Honiara from Monday 5th to Tuesday 6th December 2022.

The Palau National Feminist Forum (NFF) was a crucial event held on 18th November 2022 as part of the 3rd Pacific Feminist Forum. The NFF aimed to provide a platform for women's rights advocates to discuss and strategize on various issues affecting women in Palau. The event was made possible by the support of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the We Rise Coalition and the European Union in the Pacific-UN Spotlight Initiative Program. The forum facilitated constructive discussions on key topics such as gender-based violence, women's economic empowerment, and political representation. The NFF was a vital step towards advancing gender equality in Palau and promoting women's rights across the Pacific region.

West Papua Feminist Forum (WPFF) has been implemented on 28 November 2022 at Sunni Hotel, Jayapura, West Papua. There are approximately 40 feminists who eagerly attended the WPFF as individuals as well as representation of organization and communities.

The PNG NFF is a space for participants to congregate and share the achievements of our collaboration and solidarity resulting in achieving some progress in the space of Gender Equality and Ending Violence against Women and Girls.

The Tonga Feminist Forum convened by Talitha Project Tonga, Women and Children’s Crisis Centre (WCCC) and Tonga Leiti’s Association (TLA) brought together women leaders and activists from non-government organizations and government institutions across Tonga who work exclusively and directly with women and girls in all their diversities to redefine Feminism for Tongan women. This is informed by the struggles, achievements, barriers and opportunities over the past 10 years that women have faced to create a way forward for Tongan Feminism.

Within the framework of the third Pacific Feminist Forum and under the aegis of the Movement for a Smiling Melanesian Village, the Union of Francophone Women and the World March of Women, a workshop was organised on Saturday 1st October 2022 at the CPS (Community of the Pacific). This meeting brought together around 60 women and three men.

The First National Feminist Forum (NFF) in Tuvalu was held from the 1st to the 2nd December 2022.

The inaugural Cook Islands National Feminist Forum, Edgewater Resort 29th to the 30th November 2022, brought together 74 Women of the Cook Islands. Our diversities include; women, girls, lesbians, bisexual, trans diverse people, gender non-conforming identities, ethnically diverse women and girls, indigenous women, women with disabilities, widows, women living in rural and remote areas, young women, older women, heterosexual women, women in sports, women in non-traditional roles, women from faith-based communities, women in creative industries and women in the informal sector and women ally’s and others.

The Inaugural FNFF took place from 02 - 04 November 2022 in Pacific Habour, Fiji. The forum brought together over 80 women and feminists from their own constituencies. Our diversities include; women, girls, lesbians, bisexual, trans diverse people, gender non-conforming identities, ethnically diverse women and girls, indigenous women, women with disabilities, sex workers, widows, women living in rural and remote areas, young women, older women, heterosexual women, women in sports, women in non-traditional roles, women from faith-based communities, women in creative industries and women in the informal sector and others.

Brown Girl Woke Samoa (BGW) has developed a strong reputation locally and regionally for its work on youth empowerment, discourse on gender-based violence, feminism and community development. BGW was established with a focus on developing the capacity of the next generation to address the emerging and topical issues facing the country through the provision of safe spaces to share and discuss sensitive issues; opportunities for internships and program leadership to build resilience, leadership and critical thinking; and actively engage with the community.

Solomon Islands

Palau

West Papua

Papua New Guinea

Tonga

New Caledonia

Tuvalu

Cook Islands

Fiji

Samoa

Vanuatu