UN on Pacific UNITE Campaign to End Violence Against Women

25 November 2010
Violence against women and girls is a violation of fundamental human rights and an enduring form of gender-based discrimination. The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2008 launched a global UNiTE Campaign to End Violence Against Women.

The UNiTE Campaign is a multi-year initiative aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls in all parts of the world. The UNiTE campaign calls on governments, civil society, faith-based organizations, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, the media and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.

UN agencies based in Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea and working across the Pacific are collaborating to plan, consult and coordinate government, civil society, faith-based organizations, the media, private sector and youth to UNiTE to end Violence Against Women and Girls in the Pacific.

The UN in the Pacific invites all concerned development partners and stakeholders to join forces for the next five years (2011-2015) to make the elimination of violence against women and girls a reality in the Pacific.

During the 2009 Pacific Forum Leaders meeting Cairns, Australia and the 11th Triennial Conference for Pacific Women in Noumea, New Caledonia in August 2010, leaders and National Women’s Machineries from across the Pacific showed their support of actions to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence. In 2010, a Reference Group to Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence was established following a recommendation from the 2010 Forum Regional Security Committee meeting to assist the Forum Secretariat and support national efforts in taking forward a mandate from Forum Leaders in 2009 on this issue.

“It is exciting to witness growing interest and support of Pacific governments towards initiatives that document and address violence against women and girls,” said Ms Nileema Noble, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative of the Samoa Multi-Country Office.

A key joint activity of UN agencies in the Pacific will be a Pacific Regional UNiTE Campaign Strategy. The strategy will include a mass, multi-media communications action plan. This plan will be informed by the experiences of Pacific people from all walks of life and lessons learned of other regions that have already developed UNiTE campaigns.

The Pacific UNiTE Campaign to End Violence Against Women will start mid-2011.

“The Pacific UNiTE Campaign is multi-sectoral and provides an opportunity to UNiTE the entire region with messages that speak to both governments and the public that violence against women and girls will not be tolerated,” said Mr Knut Ostby, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative of the Fiji Multi-Country Office.

Levels of violence against women in the Pacific are amongst the most severe in the world, with prevalence as high as 85% in some countries. Sexual violence is common and severe and is more often committed by men against their intimate partners. The physical and mental health of women is compromised by violence in the home and in public spaces.

“Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence during conflict and disasters. We need all sectors of the community to work together to prevent all forms of violence” said Mr David McLachlan-Karr, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Coordinator for the Papua New Guinea ‘Delivering as One’ Country Office.

The United Nations in the Pacific is working together with Regional organizations and building on the data and evidence collected and the new commitments made by Forum Leaders. Through the active involvement of governments, faith-based organizations, civil society, the private sector, the media and citizens working together, we CAN end violence against women and girls in our region.

ENDS

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