1
Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development
Federated States of Micronesia Country Plan
Summary (2015–2019)
Background
Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) was launched by the Australian Government at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in August 2012. Pacific Women is a ten-year (2012–2022), $320 million program, funded through Australian aid, which aims to improve the political, economic and social opportunities of Pacific women. Pacific Women will support countries to meet the commitments they made in the Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declarations in 2012. Pacific Women will work with all 14 Pacific Island Forum countries.
The four outcomes sought by Pacific Women are:
1. Women, and women’s interests, are increasingly and effectively represented and visible through leadership at all levels of decision-making.
2. Women have expanded economic opportunities to earn an income and accumulate economic assets.
3. Violence against women is reduced and survivors of violence have access to support services and to justice.
4. Women in the Pacific will have a stronger sense of their own agency, supported by a changing legal and social environment and through increased access to the services they need
An important element of Pacific Women is delivering support through individual country plans.
These plans provide the detail on what will be funded and how these funding decisions are made. Country plans represent locally relevant responses and align with country-specific gender policies and priorities.
Introduction
Through Pacific Women, the Australian Government will spend approximately AU$1.4 million over 10 years on initiatives supporting women and girl’s empowerment in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
This is the first Pacific Women Country Plan for FSM. The plan was developed following extensive consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders in FSM. Under this plan, and with a view to complement existing local activities that contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment, the Australian Government will invest in a range of activities to:
» improve women's leadership and decision-making opportunities;
» increase economic opportunities and participation for women; and
» Improve the legislative framework that protects women and girls from gender violence and
strengthen support and counselling services to women and girls who have experienced
violence.
3
Rationale
Women’s leadership and decision-making
While there are no legal barriers to women’s representation in government, there are social barriers. This has resulted in women being consistently absent from legislative and executive levels of government. Younger generations of women are often further marginalised from decision-making, sometimes because they lack skills to compete with more experienced individuals.
A total of AU$145,000 over three years will be provided to support women in leadership and decision-making.
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Fewer women than men participate in the labour market in FSM. Men outnumber women by almost two to one in waged employment and fewer women receive income from the
subsistence economy than men. While there is considerable variation across the states, a 2012 Gender Stocktake carried out by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) reported that male employment levels surpassed women in all fields of work.
A total of AU$150,000 over three years will be provided to support women in local business and enterprise.
Violence against Women and Girls
The FSM Family Health and Safety Study found that one in three ever-partnered women in FSM have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a partner at least once in their lifetime.
One quarter of partnered women (24.1%) had experienced violence by a partner in the 12 months preceding the study. This figure was the highest among women aged 15–24 (34.7%). Approximately 14% of all respondents experienced sexual abuse in childhood.
Domestic violence counselling services in FSM are limited but some churches provide
counselling to their members and the general public. The range of counselling services includes domestic violence, child abuse and addiction. Some churches provide emergency refuge for women and children at risk on a case-by-case basis.
A total of AU$150,000 over three years will be provided to strengthen the legislative
environment and enhance support services for women and girls who have experienced violence.
Table 1 FSM Country Plan Summary 2015-2019 (four years)
Activity Name Activity Summary Expected Outcomes Time Frame Indicative
Total Value Increased women’s leadership and decision-making
Improving leadership and media skills for young women and men through United Youth Media (UYM) Pohnpei--Youth 4 Change (Y4C)
− Train young women and men in FSM in media, communications and positive psychology;
− Develop UYM Pohnpei into a social enterprise through members undertaking projects for businesses or government;
− Develop leadership training for young women and men and conduct peer-to-peer workshops in all four States of FSM.
− Young women and men are trained in the use of media for social good. Training includes how to make documentaries on social issues, interviewing skills and creating websites;
− UYM Pohnpei will move towards sustainability through providing visual media services to government departments and private enterprise;
− Youth 4 Change networks of young female and male leaders emerge in the four states of FSM, taking roles in decision-making, public and private sector enterprises, and in their communities.
2015-2018 (3 years)
AU$145,000
Increased economic opportunities for women Supporting the development
of women’s entrepreneurship and capacities for promotion to higher job levels in business and government (SPC)
− Building an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs;
− Building local capacity to support small and medium enterprises;
− Supporting small and medium enterprises.
− Assess and development opportunities for women to develop and build their skills and capacities to improve their promotion potential in the public and private sectors
− Complete economic opportunity scoping study identifying current industries’ status and new business opportunities; complete a Women in Business workshop to disseminate results; create awareness materials such as fact sheets and a small business toolkit;
− Capacity has increased in stake- holders such as the Small Business Development Centre, women- in-business networks, national and local chapters of the youth council, and relevant NGOs; a collaborative business-to-business (b2b) scheme has been established;
− Up to five enterprises (or cooperatives) have received targeted assistance in two sectors, such as fisheries, agriculture, or cultural industries;
referral services are in place, such as for connecting enterprises to sources of funding.
2015-2018 (3 years)
AU$150,000
5
Activity Name Activity Summary Expected Outcomes Time Frame Indicative
Total Value sector to earn more income; funding obtained for
one training program and it is implemented.
Reduced violence against women and expanded services Improve the legislative
framework that protects women and girls from gender violence and strengthen support and counselling services to women and girls who have experienced violence.
− Two front line candidates each year (one female, one male) attend the Pacific Women’s Network on Violence against Women Regional Training Program (RTP) coordinated by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC).
− Review national and state legislation related to gender rights and gender violence, identify gaps, recommend new legislation, and lobby/’campaign for the passage of such legislation, including public awareness outreach to men and boys; (RRRT)
− Further consideration will be given to the best approach to support responses to end violence against women and children in FSM. ‘Options include:
o Train current support and counselling staff of selected key organisations such as the Women’s Councils, churches, government agencies, and civil society organisations to better support women and girls who are victims of gender violence, including promoting a wider and better understanding of their rights;
o Assist organisations supporting women’s rights and combatting gender violence to develop and begin to implement long-term strategic - plans to improve their operations and impacts. An Australian Volunteer could be recruited to work with several organisations to achieve these ends;
− By 2018 six key advocates for ending violence against women are trained to analyse, strategise and organise more effectively to address and reduce gender based violence in the home and communities.
− Legislative reforms provide better legal protection to women and girls; as well as lead to successful prosecutions of perpetrators of gender violence;
− Women and children in violent situations receive improved counselling and support through an identified referral network of better trained and more supportive health professionals, police, lawyers, church staff/volunteers;
− Community based safe places are identified for women and children seeking immediate protection when in danger due to gender violence, and if it is determined to be feasible, a short stay refuge in Pohnpei in a location such as the Pohnpei Women’s Center will be established;
− Organisations that support women’s rights and protect them against violence are better able to sustain their programs and operations through better planning and fund raising.
2016 –2018 (3 years).
AU$150,000
