Women: Peace, Human Security, Development Report 2 Womens...Women: Peace, Human Security,...

Women: Peace, Human Security, Development Report 1


“Community radio enables people - especially marginalized sectors

such as women and youth - to voice their concerns and to unite around

common causes in order to challenge decision-makers and create

communities that better respond to their needs. Community radio,

alongside digital platforms and citizen journalism, is fast becoming one

of the focal points for grassroots democracy, good citizenship and good

governance.” (WACC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Karin Achtelstetter)


IntroductionFemLINKPACIFIC is a feminist community media organization that emerged from the women’s peace initiatives during the May 2000 crisis, in particular the Blue Ribbon Peace Vigil. We work to ensure that women and communities, particularly from the rural areas, are informed and engaged and are able to contribute to peace-building strategies at the local and national level.

This report is produced to address the imbalance present in existing decision making structures that impede women and young women’s effective and equal participation in development processes.

The recommendations contained within are linked to Fiji’s commitments to articles of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security), UN Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, particularly General recommendation No. 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations and Fiji’s National Gender Policy.

We have developed and sustained a regional media and policy network on these international frameworks which has included the substantive participation of rural women through our Fiji community media network:

“We are secure when our voices are heard.”

“We want to make sure that young women have a voice.”

“Firstly, all the women are the leaders in clubs, communities, to be educate(d), including young women,”

“Participate in decision making, participation in the tikina to have this development.”

“So if we don›t hold women up, to have them see women for the leaders they are, we›re not going to see those structural changes”

“It’s not just about parliament, but also local government and local governance”

”I think women should take action too in coming to developing planning because talking about gender equality how my friend from Navua have been talking about these rubbish collection and the suicide problems that have been happening. I think women should be there too to make decision about these development or the national budget that could be done because women are the first person who can take action in everything we do if there is no women in one house then we can see the house is dirty so I think women should take action in everything we do the give decision where people can follow and I think women is the most important people in the family, work place in the area that they stay.”

The findings contained within this report represent the collective priorities of over 200 women from local clubs and groups in Labasa, Nausori, Tavua/Rakiraki, Ba and Nadi, who attended our baseline assessment interviews, as well as our 3 divisional consultations, to discuss their peace, human security and development priorities.

Publisher: Sharon Bhagwan Rolls

Executive Director –

FemLINKPACIFIC

August 12, 2015


In May, over 80 women leaders from local communities, representing more than 1500 women, took part in the baseline assessments. From these baselines, various issues emerged including, but not limited to, income generation, access to basic services, infrastructure, unemployment and land use.

Across the divisional consultations, 124 rural women including young women, SOGIE women and women living with disabilities, represented over 5200 women from local communities across Fiji.

These women successfully communicated their development priorities in three week-long workshops on Communicating Democratisation, Communication Rights and Participatory Governance from June to July. In our Northern consultation, 50 women from the provinces of Bua, Cakaudrove and Macuata, represented over 600 women; from the Western division, 50 women from Rakiraki to Sigatoka, represented over 3000 women and in the Central division 24 women represented 1600 women in our final consultation to discuss what their peace, human security and development priorities were in line with Fiji’s 5 and 20 year National Development Plans. For every woman that participated in our consultations she represented, on average, 41 other women from her community.

Of the 124 women, 111 women filled out quick survey forms to identify their main priority issues:

• 68 women (54%) identified accessing basic health services as a major priority

• 52 women (41%) said that poor infrastructural development or communication links was a major development issue for their community

• Other issues (5%) ranged from environmental security, gender equality, access to electricity, water services and land, education, and employment opportunities.


Vanua Levu

• In Vanua Levu, 11 women and young women’s groups and their income generating projects were identified in order to assess the practicality and success of various income generating projects.

• It was found that ventures including bee keeping, sewing, virgin coconut oil manufacturing, bread ovens and others have had mixed success with the women’s groups.

• In Cakaudrove Province, for example, all of the women’s groups who took part in sewing activities had received damaged sewing machines from the government.

• Other women have indicated a need for greater financial literacy training and economic empowerment in terms of skills training and market access.


Young WomenAdditionally, we interviewed 50 young women from across Viti Levu and Vanua Levu who participated in a Fiji Young Women’s Forum capacity building workshop on political participation. The young women were asked to describe their experiences of leadership at various levels of governance, the 2014 General Elections, as well as their expectations for the 2018 General Elections and Parliament.

The young women also identified their 2016 National Budget priorities:

• 40% of the young women were considering leadership at a national level, 38% were considering community or village level leadership while 30% were considering leadership at local government or district level.

• 28% of young women indicated the need for greater civic education in preparations towards the 2018 elections; 14% wanted a more diverse range of candidates while 12% of young women wanted the election spaces to be more accessible.

• The top development priority for young women was education (74%); Health (68%) including mental health; and infrastructure and development (38%).

Across the three divisions it is obvious that women’s development priorities at the local level remain largely unaddressed despite Fiji’s commitments to CEDAW (ratified in 1995), and the adoption of the 2014 National Gender Policy.

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and 2122 must be applied to the national peace and security agenda, not just in terms of deployment in peacekeeping and peace support operations but also to enhance women’s participation in enhancing a culture of peace, non-violence and the prevention of the resurgence of violence as experienced in May 2000.


National Development Plan and National Budget allocation, must:

As with the Sustainable Development Goals have clear gender equality and peace/stability indicators across all development priorities applying both a gender inclusive and conflict prevention approach to development planning and implementation.

The National Gender Policy of Fiji (adopted February) reiterates this recommendation as it aims to promote gender equity, equality, social justice and sustainable development in the Republic of Fiji by reinforcing the inextricable links between gender equality and sustainable development goals in national development as well as through gender mainstreaming in all sectors and within civil society to ensure agency for gender equity and equality in all spheres of national life. While the National Gender Policy is a written commitment by government which the population can monitor and evaluate a key indicator is the actual allocation of the national budget not only for the Department of Women but also resources to ensure comprehensive integration of gender equality as a fundamental human right in national economic growth and development.

The National Gender Policy specifically calls for:

5.11 Responsive Gender Budgeting and Planning

1. Introduce Gender Responsive Budgeting and gender audits in the planning, implementation, evaluation and monitoring of the national budgetary process and promote gender responsive budgeting by development practitioners to ensure optimum benefits to rural and urban women.

2. Create and utilise gender sensitive indicators in the economic planning processes to monitor the attainment of gender strategic goals.

3. Reinforce social justice programmes, particularly to improve the situation of marginalised groups of men and women in Fijian society.

4. Hold sustained dialogue before the 1st of August each year, with ministries responsible for trade, finance, manufacturing and commerce, tourism and agriculture, fisheries, labour, social welfare, women, poverty alleviation, health, education, youth and sports, local government organisations and town and city councils, the private sector, and gender based NGOs, to ensure that gender is integrated into Fiji’s annual budget.

5. Consult with NGO gender based groups both before the Budget has been drawn up and after the Budget has been announced to enable women to understand the Budget process and to have input into it.

Recommendations


6. Evaluate and monitor the progress towards greater levels of equality in the representation of women and men through collection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative and qualitative data on women and men at all levels in various decision making positions, with a view to promoting their increased access to the full range of appointments in positions of power and decision-making.

7. Establish performance indicators including performance appraisals on gender equality in decision-making, distribution of public funds and investments in programming for youth.

FemLINKPACIFIC reiterates that the National Development Plan and National Budget allocation, therefore must:

- have clear gender equality and peace/stability indicators across all development priorities

- applying both a gender inclusive and conflict prevention approach to development planning and implementation.


Environment security

Economic security

Invest inInfrastructure:

Health

Requires women’s full and equal participation in decision making on climate change and natural resource management strategies as well as environment impact studies in order to prevent the destruction of traditional food sources.

Land access and management must be gender inclusive and responsive

Women’s economic programmes including agriculture must also be connected to savings, access to markets (not just selling at markets)

Linked to affordability of education and equitable resources dedicated to tertiary education programmes in rural centres

Youth unemployment including in rural communities must be prioritized

Minimum wage must reflect the cost of living and ensure social protection

Social security protection needed for rural women

Affordable and appropriate “Matua” programmes for female school drop outs must be developed such as for teenage or single mothers

Roads & bridges connect communities to markets, health services, information and participation in governance

Water supply, drainage projects must be prioritized so as not to increase the burden experienced by women and thereby prevent the increasing feminization of rural poverty

Renewable electricity and access to appropriate and accessible communications including ICTs are development priorities

Rural and remote communities must have access to

safe, affordable and well-resourced medical services at community, sub divisional and divisional level

Maternal health services must be prioritized particularly in rural and remote centres

Despite government subsidy of medicines – there is still an access problem – needs better per capita allocation

Ensure Youth and LGBT friendly SRH&R services especially at community level

Ensure health services are resourced for entire life cycle taking into account the specific needs of nursing mothers, the elderly and persons with disabilities


Recommendation: Community Radio Funding

Consideration be given to allocate at least 3% of allocated media funding from government departments to a community media fund which will enable community media/radio initiatives such as FemLINKPACIFIC to apply for an annual grant to support community radio operations. At least 30% of the community media funds should be allocated in line with the National Gender Policy Section 5.8/1: “Media Support women-led media initiatives including community radio, television and print media, and consider financial support for the supply and importation of media equipment”

Background:

“The focused approach of community radio facilitates a participatory, grass-roots-led process that is able to hone into priority issues and seek their resolve through measures that result in empowerment. Many women’s groups around the world have benefitted by obtaining a public forum through which to amplify their voice and demand accountability for the fulfilment of basic needs and rights. Such gains at grassroots are complex to achieve through public service broadcasting22. In some countries, community radio actively complements the public service broad-caster. This can be strategic and beneficial to overall broadcasting efforts and may include formal collaboration with the public broadcaster because of this. While the mission of commercial radio is to generate profit, that of community radio is to serve geographic communities and communities of interest on a non-profit basis. Unlike commercial radio stations and public service radio, the primary purpose of community radio is to provide a local platform that crystallizes the identity of citizens and amplifies voice at the grassroots. To operate effectively it needs to be supported by an enabling legal environment – which means one that provides legal recognition, shows political appreciation for the role of this sector, and facilitates resources and support mechanisms. it has long been recognized that community radio by its nature provides a public service that is different to the kind normally associated with a public broadcaster. Community radio, as a third tier of broadcasting, has a narrower and more concentrated focus in terms of population composition, geographic and thematic scope. It is also characterized by a close and participative connection with its listeners, providing them with oppor-tunities to help shape the service menu by being part of both the governance and the volunteer corps of a station concerned. The focused approach of community radio facilitates a participatory, grassroots-led process that is able to hone into priority issues and seek their resolve through measures that result in empower-ment. Many women’s groups around the world have benefitted by obtaining a public forum through which to amplify their voice and demand accountability for the fulfilment of basic needs and rights. Such gains at grassroots are complex to achieve through public service broadcasting22. In some countries, community ra-dio actively complements the public service broadcaster. This can be strategic and beneficial to overall broadcasting efforts and may include formal collaboration with the public broadcaster because of this.” (UNESCO paper on Commu-nity Media Sustainability: Strengthening Policies and Funding 2015


FemLINKPACIFIC has a 10 year track record of successfully launching a small community radio kit to expanding to a national community radio network including current plans for a technical/transmission upgrade. FemLINKPACIFIC works to advance gender equality commitments to Media and ICTs (Section J of the Beijing Platform for Action) including providing women-led media coverage of key global, regional and national events to enhance more national recognition and action from policy makers and decision-makers to enable political participation by rural and marginalized women. Community Media and associated initiatives and advocacy platforms supported by relevant grassroots level training will link women “from the mat to the policy table” and broader political processes. We collaborate with partners particularly through the WACC Pacific network to contribute to building a vibrant responsible and accountable network with new capacity to advocate for communication rights in their communities, institutions, faith-based organisations and other spheres of influence.

In February 2005 FemTALK 89FM Suva expanded its services to 24 hour transmission across the Navua – Nausori corridor while FemTALK 89FM Labasa broadcasts from 10am to 2pm on weekdays

Total broadcast hours transmitted in the first six months of 2015:

Suva: 3320 hours (compared to a total of 1160 hours in 2013 and 2519 in 2014)

Labasa: 617 hours (compared to a total of 462 broadcast hours in 2013 and 708 hours in 2014)

In the first six months of 2015 a total of 269 radio programmes were produced:

By Month: January 38, February 37, March 49, April 38, May 64, June 43

By Centre: 15 from Labasa, 13 from Nadi, 16 from Ba, 10 Tavua/Rakiraki, 24 from Nausori and 191 in Suva

91 of these programmes were uploaded as podcasts in the first quarter.

In the first six months of 2015 a total of 640 women were featured in the radio productions

By Centre: 91 from Labasa, 96 from Nadi, 65 from Ba, 114 from Nausori, 125 from Tavua/Rakiraki and 178 from Suva

The radio productions take a more focused approach in terms of the thematic areas / topics and while featuring many of the same cadre of rural women leaders FemLINKPACIFIC has been working with at the local level the radio programmes reflect the journey with the women in terms of transitioning from the personal narratives of the early years to the connections with the human security framework and development process as well as linkages to CEDAW and UNSCR1325.

FemLINKPACIFIC’s community media network in Fiji comprises of a team of dedicated community media and correspondents who



are equipped with media equipment and resources to convene rural network activities including consultations and radio programme productions to enable rural women to raise their critical issues of concern, which are linked together in a human security framework as part of a variety of media and policy advocacy initiatives.

As FemLINKPACIFIC has demonstrated since launching our “suitcase radio station” in 2004, community radio provides women with the freedom, safe space and independence to produce programmes as a way of representing their voice; Women are recognized as advocates in their community:

“When we take out our “suitcase radio” women join us from beyond the 10km transmission radius claiming their space on the airwaves to participate actively, to be informed and to speak out!”

As the development of our society depends on the information FemTALK 89FM rural broadcasts involve sharing and receiving information, listening and talking to the diverse groups of women. FemTALK 89FM Suva continues to bridge the information gap between rural women, on disability and SOGI rights, for women in the market!

As a result of convening an inclusive community media network more young women and representatives of LGBTQI communities are participating in our rural network activities and media initiatives:

“Community radio is an important way of linking to other women especially in rural networks and communities because we share information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. It has also empowered me more to stand tall advocate more on LGBT rights and never be ashamed of my SOGI” (Uha Fifita, Rainbow Women’s Network)

Community radio works on and off air by just sharing the stories beyond the airwaves - back into the community such as our Community Radio Times and monthly Women: Peace, Human Security and Development Reports which link women together across the 5 communities.

“Now we are just continuing to remind people to just listen to the women! Now women are speaking out more and encouraging other women to raise their voices. We all want to live peacefully. We bring together the women leaders from different women’s groups and they have the task, they have the information to take back information to their clubs and groups. The monthly network meeting is about sharing information and joining together for our larger consultations and campaigns. It’s not a paid membership network and is a network to empower each other and for leaders to be empowered”

The community radio broadcasts have garnered support at the local government level and enjoyed considerable support from local government including town councils of Lami, Nadi, Ba, Nausori and Labasa who have assisted us in staging consultations and broadcasts. This, together with linkages with District and Pro-



vincial level administrators is a valuable opportunity to link local development issues raised by women with the key local decision makers and also create a partnership for the development of a rural women’s radio network.As a result of FemLINKPACIFIC continuing to invest in a rural community media network we have been able to provide recommendations for the Fiji Government National Gender Policy based on recommendations from our network’s local action plans and activities while rural convenors are more confident in engaging with local government officials who are also more responsive to invitations from FemLINKPACIFIC:

By attending the meetings, the consultations, using the community radio and being on television, being able to speak up and be seen on TV, the changes are evident over time. I can speak for all of us that we have been empowered. As I journey further down the road, personally it has helped me so much. We come together from different communities and now we are working together to find and communicate the issues. They themselves can talk to the CEO of Nausori Town Council, share with advisory councilors and approach the Divisional Commissioner Central. We are not there yet when it comes to gender equality and only one woman might speak, but we are seeing a small change like the 4 women advisory councilors who now attend the meeting as well.” (Paulin Fong, Nausori convenor since 2009)

In September 2014, FemLINKPACIFIC presented our report “Communicating CEDAW and Human Security” to the newly elected Minister for Women to made time to meet with the FemLINKPACIFIC network and staff while the Deputy Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office has assisted FemLINKPACIFIC re-engage with Divisional Commissioners Central and Western.

Whether it is the women who have taken to the airwaves or the development partners who have journeyed with FemLINKPACIFIC, they have recognized and supported the role of community radio to enable women and young women in all their diversities claim their communication rights in our region and that without a media platform of their own women’s rights, peace and human security will remain invisible.

FemLINKPACIFIC’s work has enabled more women to access the media whether they feature in community media initiatives, including our community radio broadcasts, interactive dialogue with government officials, television simulcasts and even television current affairs programmes. Their stories contribute to the qualitative and quantitative evidence we disseminate to inform the development process.



Putting Human Security First

1. Personal Security

Personal security for rural women is linked closely to quality infrastructure in terms of good road conditions, proper and working streetlights, access to basic water and electricity services.

Rural women have also identified the need to have clearly defined footpaths, access to police posts and an increase in gender equality training of police officers and other community leaders as well as more women and youth included and heard in local decision-making spaces.

Personal Security Recommendations

• Equal membership of women and youth in local, divisional and national development planning committees

• Approved development plans must reflect the needs of local women in all her diversities

• Increased gender equality and human rights training for community leaders and law enforcement officers

• Ensure development practitioners use a gender responsive budgeting process that benefits rural women and is accessible

What the women are saying

“I would like the government to upgrade roads, put up streetlights since settlements and towns without streetlights and some with streetlights but are not working is one of the contributing factors to young girls and women being raped” Anushka, Fiji Young Women’s Forum capacity building workshop

“More proactive action by the state in ensuring streets are safe for women” Seruwaia, Central Division



2. Health Security

Health Security for rural women is linked to their ability to access quality, affordable health care which includes medication, staff, equipment, transportation and information.

Health Security Recommendations:

• Local and sub divisional health managers must ensure that rural priorities are communicated to ensure the necessary supply of medicines and resources

• Health staff must be trained in human rights awareness to deliver a comprehensive health service particularly for marginalized communities

• The State must ensure that the Ministry of Health per capita allocation for medicines as well as operational costs are responsive to specific needs of rural and remote communities

• National budget processes must be accountable to rural women’s health needs

What the women are saying:

“Single mothers ending up in the street as Sex Workers because there is no assistance for them, single Sex Workers mothers face difficulties in approaching assistance and discrimination going through them especially when they go out since H.I.V/AIDS awareness and Sex Workers going for clinic they are not feeling comfortable because of treatment being done in the Hub Centres” Regina, Western Divisional Consultation



3. Economic Security

The need for appropriate income generating projects was identified as a major need for rural women and youth particularly in terms of state supported projects for the economic empowerment and self-sufficiency of rural communities.

Economic Security Recommendations:

• Continual engagement with government officials to identify income generating projects that reflect rural women’s needs

• Enhance the active and equal participation for women in the economy and public life and ensure a range of government and other measures are in place to support this participation, including in decision making and leadership from the grassroots level to national level.

• Local government should ensure that the administration and management of local markets are fully compliant with CEDAW provisions including women’s participation in public life.


“it’s only the villages elders were there not even for us youths we are not included mostly in this kind of meetings only for the village elders there they were the only ones that they take decision without us not knowing involve us in that meeting and what could I see just because of our village elder they are not well educated they own the development take place they forces what could be the causes and how we can get suffering in the future” Unaisi, Central Consultation

“Market vendors are seeing an increase in cost of market. Table fees now is $2.50 per day if you don’t come in for a week or month you have to pay for the table. If the table is not paid somebody else will take that. Apart from each individual license they have to pay $6.50 to the town council and the daily cost of the table fee. If you sell juice for example they pay extra $50.” Mereia, Western Consultation



4. Political Security

Rural women leaders speak on behalf of their communities, representing their needs and priorities in terms of human security. These women have identified the need, particularly for youth, to be better informed, consulted and engaged within decision-making processes. Effective policies must clearly reflect women’s human security and development priorities across all levels of decision-making.

Political Security Recommendations:

• Equal participation of women in the economy and public life, and put forward a range of government and other measures to support this participation, including in decision making and leadership from the grassroots level to national level.

• Government and political parties should adopt quotas and affirmative action measures to ensure democracy in all peace and security decision making, including at least 30 percent representation of women in cabinet, parliament, provincial council and district committees, political party leadership, local government and committees


“It’s only the villages elders were there not even for us youths we are not included mostly in this kind of meetings only for the village elders there they were the only ones that they take decision without us not knowing involve us in that meeting and what could I see just because of our village elder they are not well educated they own the development take place they forces what could be the causes and how we can get suffering in the future” Unaisi, Wailekutu

“because most of the time the Youths are left out in their communities because they also have new ideas and they can come out with new ideas to have new developments if we can include the Youths in our days.” Sokoveti, Namotomoto Youth Club

“because I stay in the village most of the time the men are the ones that are speaking, carrying out the decisions in the village.” Sophia, Malina Women’s Club



5. Food Security

Rural women have identified the need to be consulted on development projects which have had a negative impact on their natural food supply. The high cost of food items has also been an issue for women’s ability to provide healthy meals for their families.

Food Security Recommendations:

• Ensure gender sensitive policies are implemented and sustained to enable women’s equal access to land

• Minimum wage must reflect the cost of living and ensure social protection

What are the women saying

“We have also noticed changes in the food cycle especially the kai koso (Sea Mussels) that before they were healthy and large but now they are becoming thinner and sometimes when we eat the kai koso we also face diarrhoea. Before the women around also catch prawns now we don’t, we are also getting scared to bath in the river especially with the increase in skin diseases when we bath in the river. So now we calling and informing the authorities to tell these people to stay away and end dumping wastes in our communities.” Laisani, Central Consultation

6. Environment Security

Untimely rubbish collections and the pollution of natural waterways due to a lack of proper consultation and communication has left women feeling isolated from local councils. Rural women have also identified poor drainage systems which contributes to flooding in their communities.

Environmental Security Recommendations:

• Local government development plans should prioritise infrastructural development and maintenance


“when you talk about Environment and Health it’s the Women who does the cleaning of her surrounding”. Losana, Western Consultation



Young Women

Young women’s political participation is a key process in terms of ensuring peace, security and development. Young women’s voices need to be heard in decision-making spaces from grass-root to national levels.

Recommendations:

• Youth unemployment including in rural communities must be prioritized

• Affordable and appropriate income-generation programmes must be developed for teenage or single mothers including providing financial literacy training

• Ensure gender-friendly civic education training young women

• Youth and LGBTIQ friendly health services including mental health, maternal health and SRHR

• Ensure accessible and affordable education


“Also sexual health education, that needs to be really targeted because right now in schools and everything, sexual health education is not focused on a lot and I think that’s a big issue.” Anushka, student

“I want to be a decision maker right from the very primary stages, for example, from the family, in the society, from the society to the district level, right to the highest level. Because I feel that if we are not represented in these areas, then our issues wont be discussed properly, and it wont come out from a person thats being affected by the issues which is why I think that I want to be part of decision making, In whatever level it is.” Bonita, sex worker activist



Vanua Levu

Rural women in the north have expressed their need for improved and continuous communication with local and national leaders particularly in terms of income generation, infrastructural development and access to basic services such as health.

Recommendation:

• Utilise quota systems on local development committees to ensure women’s priorities and voices are incorporated in to development plans

• Continual engagement with rural women in terms of consultations, training and monitoring and evaluation on various income generating projects

• Identify barriers to women’s access to markets through consultation with local women

• Prioritise infrastructural development and basic services such as water and health in national and local budgeting plans


“For example here at Wailevu we’ve got a got road, we got footpaths along the road but then there is no street lights. There is a big problem because the drains are big but the footpaths have no railings so that becomes a big problem because at night there is a lot of kids and I think a few years ago some people fell into the drain because their was no railings .So I think that would be our development priority for me.” Sophia, Malina Women’s Club


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