Progressing Gender Equality in the Pacific (PGEP), Phase 2

The Progressing Gender Equality in the Pacific (PGEP) II project is a five-year project designed to support member countries achieve goals articulated in the Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declaration (PLGED) 2012 and the Pacific Platform for Action for Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights (PPA) 2017 and its forbear, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action through gender mainstreaming approaches and tools.

PGEP II focusses on tailoring technical assistance for gender analysis and mainstreaming in response to country priorities; strengthening and aligning monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems; improving communication and coordination; and adopting multiple forms of technical assistance.

The project has 2 long-term outcomes, specifically in the areas of gender mainstreaming and accountability mechanisms.

 Our Ways of Working

  • Tiered approach – PGEP II works across 6 PICs supporting the ongoing implementation of national gender mainstreaming initiatives. PGEP II supports remaining PICs by responding to specific requests for assistance.
  • Multiple entry points – PGEP II works with national gender focal points across a range of sectors and with a variety of partners to mainstream gender including in statistics, agriculture, fisheries, maritime, energy, water, education, climate change as well as disaster risk reduction and management.
  • A tailored approach responding to country priorities – PGEP II regularly consults with gender focal points to finalise work plans and deliverables specific to national priorities and incorporating regional commitments as far as practical.
  • Regional pool of gender mainstreaming expertise – PGEP II is supporting PICs to establish communities of learning and practice and networks to create a pool of expertise that can support governments, communities and regional organisations to develop improved and sustainable approaches to gender mainstreaming.
  • Support for MEL –Countries requested PGEP II have a focus on supporting them with monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning frameworks and reporting. 
  • Strengthening communications – Countries requested PGEP II support them to increase the visibility of their gender mainstreaming results, as well as more strategic communications to engage a wider range of stakeholders through disseminating information.

Continuing from the first phase of PGEP, PGEP II addresses Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declaration (PLGED) priorities and use of the Pacific Platform for Action to guide its interventions of supporting PICs to adopt policies and legislation for the promotion of gender equality and women’s human rights.

The adoption, implementation and monitoring of these policies and legislation, in turn, will be a key contributor to improved gender equality outcomes identified in the Sustainable Development Goals, PLGED and national gender policies relevant to women in decision-making, ending violence against women, and women’s economic empowerment. PGEP II is funded by the Australian Government.