To celebrate women in the Pacific we're sharing a series of Herstories of women and women's movements who have collectively struggled, lobbied, stood in solidarity and supported each other and survivors of violence against women, and triumphed. This is a story of Eleanor Mori, a woman leader who is the Coordinator of Tongen Inepwineu Counseling Center (TICC) at the Chuuk Women's Council (CWC). 
 

Eleanor Mori is the Coordinator of Tongen Inepwineu Counseling Center (TICC), the first crisis support centre for women and girls in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Prior to joining TICC, she worked at the Social Affairs Office providing services to elderly and aging citizens. A year into her new job, Eleanor says work at the centre is both challenging and eye-opening.

Seeing women and girls who come into the centre having experienced some form of abuse has fueled her passion for the work.

 ‘‘No child should feel afraid at home,’’ she said, adding: ‘‘A home should be safe. A mother should feel safe. When she is healthy and strong, she can take care of the kids and they grow up to be healthy and strong. When there is no violence in the home that family grows.’’

The establishment of TICC — initiated by the Chuuk Women’s Council (CWC) — has created a safe space where Chuukese women feel they can finally speak up, something that they are typically hesitant to do. Nationwide, one in every three women in FSM experience physical and/or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime.[1]

‘‘Our women didn’t really like to talk about what goes on in their relationships and it has been a process to win their trust. Now, when they see TICC staff in their communities, they are more open and talk to us about anything.’'

 The centre’s work is being taken seriously by authorities.

 Where previously three witness statements were needed in addition to the centre’s case report before making its final way to the Attorney-General’s Office for further processing, now the case report alone is enough to begin the investigation.

This is a significant achievement and support for TICC clients. This means survivors are not additionally or unnecessarily burdened. To aid in its work, TICC has established a network of 35 family champions throughout the main island with plans to recruit more in the outer islands. The champions, both young and old, refer clients to the centre and accompany them to counselling and referral services (such as medical, police or legal services) if needed. The family champions are TICC’s eyes and ears in the community.

The centre has trained health assistants (with access to dispensaries and transport) and plans to link them to family champions.

Eleanor’s vision for TICC’s future was recently achieved with the centre’s expansion to include phone counselling. Next, she hopes the centre may create a separate, dedicated space for greater client privacy, a day care centre and shelter, a gap TICC addresses by developing safety plans with clients, who choose a safe house and host family with TICC providing remote support.

‘‘This stuff doesn’t just happen between the hours of 8 to 5,’’ said Eleanor, adding: ‘‘That’s why we need a safe house where mothers can go for the night and stay longer if they need to.’’

Currently the only shelter that exists in Chuuk belongs to the Human Trafficking Division under the National Police.

 On her leadership style, Eleanor says it is all about ‘‘having mutual respect and faith in one another’’ that the assigned activities will be done.

Between TICC and CWC, there are women aged 20 to 60 and balancing the generation gap while providing space and opportunities for the younger women to flourish has been high on her agenda.

Launched in March 2020, TICC provides free, confidential counselling and referral support to survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment and child sexual abuse through trained safe counsellors.

The centre is part of the CWC, which has received funding and extensive on-going technical support from the Australian Government through the Pacific Women Lead formerly known as Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Program. Tongen Inepwineu means ‘Love of the Family’ in Chuukese.

ENDS

Thanks to the positive steps taken by the Care Micronesia Foundation (CMF), a civil society organisation in FSM, the Pohnpei State Legislature changed the age of consent and marriage from 16 to 18 in 2019. This action is a significant step forward for Micronesia and sends a clear signal about the region’s determination to follow the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

International human rights conventions are an effective way of holding states accountable and serves as a guide for national legislation to safeguard vulnerable groups in our societies. The CRC defines children as being anyone under the age 18.  In line with this, the minimum standard age of marriage set by most countries around the world is usually 18.

While some countries in the Pacific have ratified the CRC and, over time, have changed their marriage laws to comply with international human rights treaties, others such as the Federated State of Micronesia (FSM) have only recently taken positive legislative action to protect children from early marriages.

According to Shelyane Lohn, former Manager of CMF, the law change in Pohnpei State was only possible through rigorous lobbying and advocacy in collaboration with churches, public health authorities and local women’s groups.

The Pacific Community’s (SPC) Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) Division provided support to CMF’s campaign in the form of a grant under the Pacific People Advancing Change (PPAC) project, funded by the Government of Sweden.

The grant directly funded campaign activities and was complemented by advocacy training and mentoring support to help ensure an effective campaign. The campaign activities included a roundtable discussion attended by representatives of Pohnpei State Public Health, the State Legislative Committee on Health, as well as church leaders, traditional leaders, and women’s groups. 

“The assistance in the form of a grant provided by SPC’s PPAC project built the capacity of CMF to advocate on this serious issue to the wider public and to important stakeholders and empowered them to lobby the Pohnpei State legislature to make this change in the age of consent a reality,” Lohn said.

“PPAC did a great job in helping us raise the age of consent and marriageable age which opened the eyes of a lot of people in FSM who are slowly adapting to this change.”

Lohn highlighted that the reasons for lobbying for this change in legislation were numerous but the most basic rationale was to ensure that children are protected from early marriages until they are mature and old enough to start their own families. Another reason was to lower the rate of teenage pregnancy which is high in FSM.

She highlighted that the majority of the four states of FSM have set the age of consent and marriage at 16 and, because of this, many young girls were being married to men who were sometimes twice their age.

In most cases, Lohn noted that “Families followed this due to the “assistance” that these men can provide for the girl’s family.”

Early marriage for these ‘child brides’ often means that they are not able to pursue their dreams of higher education and thus are not able to secure work opportunities and become economically empowered.

Being married off at a young age also meant that most young girls became teenage mothers, and this had a lasting impact on their physical wellbeing as well as the health of their babies.

Lohn added that the change in legislation will now provide much-needed protection to children, especially young girls from being married off early and can be used to dissuade families and communities from marrying off their daughters while they are still children.

Lohn said that CMF, as part of this advocacy campaign, managed to establish strong partnerships with the Pohnpei Police, Pohnpei State Government, Pohnpei Women’s Council, and youth and church groups.

While the law change in Pohnpei is certainly an achievement worth celebrating, CMF hopes to continue public education and awareness of this.

“The lobbying and advocacy to change the age of consent and marriage has created greater awareness in our students and children. I think the children in our communities and schools now realise that they too have rights that can protect them, and we wish to continue our public education and awareness campaigns until the rate of customary marriages and teenage pregnancies drop,” she added.

-ENDS-

FSM consultations on Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratification

The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), through its Department of Health and Social Affairs, is conducting a consultation on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the capital Pohnpei this week, for relevant government representatives and civil society organisations.

The three-day consultation aims to develop the skills and knowledge of relevant stakeholders on the convention and is being supported by the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) in collaboration with Australian Aid and the European Union.

“The training is a very timely event particularly as the Department of Health and Social Affairs is preparing to submit a resolution on the ratification of the CRPD to the 4th Regular Session of the 19thCongress Sitting of the FSM Government that will be held in September,” FSM National Disability Coordinator, Stuard Penias, said.

The FSM Government signed the CRPD in September, 2011 and is proceeding with plans for ratification this year. The main purpose of the CRPD is “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities.”

A resolution for ratification was submitted to congress in 2013 which was tabled to allow consultations with the states to get their input and support. Since then, each of the four FSM States - Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap - have passed CRPD ratification resolution during various legislature sittings.

According to Mr Penias, the FSM Government endorsed a National Policy on Disability which identifies priority areas for action to promote societal awareness, and inclusion of persons with disabilities, including identification of their needs and opportunities.

“It is very important that FSM joins the rest of world in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities and to improve the livelihoods of persons with disabilities. FSM is also fortunate to get the assistance of SPC in this worthy endeavour,” Mr Penias said.

Topics that will be covered during the consultation include Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Non Discrimination and Equality including Reasonable Accommodation, Understanding the different articles of the CRPD, CRPD in practise and Monitoring and Implementation of the CRPD.

“While the Pacific Region is slow on human rights treaty ratification, the CRPD is one of the quickest ratified treaties in the Pacific with 10 Pacific Community members having either ratified or acceded to this Disability Convention after it was adopted in 2006 and came into force in 2008,” SPC Regional Rights Resource Team Director, Mark Atterton said.

“SPC will continue to support the FSM Government as ratification of the CRPD is significant for FSM and its population with disabilities,” Mr Atterton added.

The President of Pohnpei Consumer Organisation, Nelbert Perez, stated that the ratification of the CRPD by Pacific Island countries shows the commitment of Pacific governments towards persons with disabilities in the region.

“Persons with disabilities in the Pacific face numerous challenges which hinder their full and effective participation in their various communities. The ratification of the CRPD allows our governments to take stock of provisions to safeguard rights and identify gaps in order to allow persons with disabilities access to the same opportunities as everyone else,” Mr Perez said.

The CRPD consultation concludes on 4 August.

Media contact:

George Isom   SPC RRRT Country Focal Officer, [email protected]

Stuard Penias  Department of Health and Social Affairs Disability Coordinator, [email protected]

Suva – To mark International Human Rights Day today, 10 December 2014, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is partnering with government ministries in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu, to present individuals and organisations with Human Rights Awards.

The theme for the awards is ‘human rights in everyday life’, which covers many aspects of our daily lives, including rights to food, shelter, education, health, protection, freedom of expression and many more.

The Pacific is not immune to human rights violations, with violence against women a critical concern for the region.  According to studies by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with SPC, the Pacific region has some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.

National studies in 2009 and 2010, in Samoa, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu, indicate that the rates of intimate partner violence are as high as 60 to 70%. Inadequate laws and policies fail to protect women and their families, and impact adversely on the development of a country.

At a recent SPC-RRRT regional lawyers’ consultation, former high court judge in Fiji, Madam Mere Pulea, encouraged lawyers of the region to ‘be at the forefront to challenge inequalities and discrimination faced by women, and to play a critical role for the benefit of society.’

SPC RRRT won the prestigious UNICEF Maurice Pate Award in 1998 for its pioneering work in promoting human rights education for women and children in the Pacific. Since then, SPC RRRT has been offering the Pacific Human Rights Awards to encourage the development of a human rights culture that will protect the rights and promote the well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.

The 2014 national awards include:

Kiribati

Rikiaua Takeke

Special recognition for highlighting the right to religion through the documentation of Catechist Tikarerei Takirua’s life story of service to the people of Kiribati.

Selaina Tekonnang

Special recognition for highlighting the right to marriage and to be free from violence through poetry.

Wayne Uan

Special recognition for highlighting the right to participate in any community activities without distinction of any kind such as sex, colour, race, religion or other status.

Samoa

Aoga Fiamalamalama

Special recognition for promoting the right of a child to education in Samoa, including children with disabilities, through role play.

Deborah Jacinta Leu’o

Special recognition for promoting human rights in Samoa through creative drawing.

Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo

Special recognition for highlighting the rights of persons with disabilities through the documentation of her personal life story.

Hemiriah Ioane

Special recognition for highlighting the right to education through creative writing.

Nu’ufou Isaia

Special recognition for promoting the right to education for children with disabilities in Samoa, through visual art.

Piu Maneralokina Filipo

Special recognition for highlighting human rights through creative writing.

Samoa Fa’afafine Association

In recognition of the contribution to the promotion of the human rights of marginalised groups, including Fa’afafine and LGBTI groups in Samoa.

Samoa National Youth Council

Special recognition for promoting the right to be heard and of freedom of expression in Samoa through audio visual arts.

Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust

Contribution to advancing the right to freedom from discrimination of Samoan deportees rehabilitating in the community and in community outreach programmes.

Sinalaua Papatoetoe Tupolo

Special recognition for highlighting the right to education, respect and equality through the documentation of her personal life story.

Taiese Taiese

Special recognition for highlighting the right of children to social protection through creative writing.

Tiapapata Art Centre

Special recognition for advancing the right to develop life skills and the right to participate in cultural life, through the Breakthrough initiative, aimed at supporting people affected by trauma and abuse.

Solomon Islands

Br. Gorge Van Der Sant

Special recognition for contribution to advancing the right to education for young persons with disabilities in Solomon Islands.

Community Based Rehabilitation Unit

Special recognition for contribution to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in Solomon Islands.

Tonga

Women and Children Crisis Centre

Special recognition for advancing the rights of girls in Tonga to be free from domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Talitha Girls

Special recognition for highlighting the rights of single mothers to education and to be respected with equal opportunity.

Elenga Mailangi

Special recognition for highlighting the right to employment and family support in Tonga.

Tuvalu

Fusi Alofa Association

Special Recognition for contribution to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in Tuvalu.

Talafai Youth Group

Special recognition for contribution to advancing the rights of children to education through support to pre-school building construction on the island of Nanumago, Tuvalu.

SPC RRRT works to build a culture of human rights, and assists nation states to commit to, and observe, international human rights standards. SPC RRRT is a programme under the Social Development Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and is funded by the Australian Government.

For more information, please contact Jilda Shem, SPC RRRT Communications Officer, on +679 330 5994, or email [email protected]

A coalition of regional partners, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Regional Rights Resource Team (SPC RRRT), UNDP Pacific Centre, Pacific Youth Council and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) will be convening a Youth and civil society dialogue to be held from the 23-27th of June in Nadi, Fiji.

SPC RRRT is pleased to invite one representative from Civil Society and one youth representative from each of the following Pacific Island Countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

Download the conference announcement below for further details and the application form if you are interested to represent your country. Email us your completed form as soon as possible.

SPC_meeting_announcement_Regional_Youth_and_CSO_Dialogue_1.pdf

Monday 10 June 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji –

A four-day regional consultation on violence against women legislation in the Pacific, organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Regional Rights Resources Team (SPC RRRT), is currently underway this week in Nadi, Fiji.

In her remarks at the opening ceremony of the consultation, guest speaker Shamina Ali, Coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, called for gender specific domestic violence laws in the Pacific as a vital way forward in addressing discrimination against women in the region.

A good example of gender specific domestic violence law, Ms Ali added, is India’s Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005. The act guarantees a women’s right to reside in the matrimonial or shared household, irrespective of whether she has any title or rights in the property.

Other presentations during the opening ceremony reaffirmed the findings of national surveys showing the high prevalence of violence against women in the Pacific. The recent research shows rates of 68% in Kiribati, 60% in Vanuatu, 64% in Solomon Islands, 46% in Samoa and 61% in Fiji.

Participants were also reminded that legislation is only one aspect of the work needed to address violence against women; it is equally important to ensure resources are available for the implementation of the laws and to monitor progress.

Activities on the agenda for this week’s consultation include reviewing legislation to address violence against women in the region and lessons learnt from national committees and consultations, sharing lessons on law reform strategies undertaken in countries and developing plans to progress legislative law reform in the Pacific.

This consultation is the 5th organised since 2009 and is part of SPC RRRT’s programme to develop and support comprehensive integrated legislation that addresses all forms of violence against women. The aim is to build capacity at the national level to advocate for improved legislation through the development of appropriate policy papers and comprehensive legislative reviews encompassing all aspects of legislative change that affect women suffering from violence.

The consultation this week is being attended by government and civil society stakeholders including legal drafters from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. This consultation and work to support legislative change in addressing violence against women is supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

For more information, please contact Jilda Shem, SPC RRRT Communications Officer on +679 330 5994 or email [email protected].

Tuesday 12 February 2013, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji –

Fifteen human rights trainers from the Pacific region have graduated with greater capacity in imparting knowledge and skills through professional training after an intensive two week training course conducted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Regional Rights Resource Team (SPC-RRRT) in Suva, Fiji.

The training of trainers (ToT) course, facilitated by Trevor Kliese from Training Australia Unlimited, was an empowering experience, as the trainers increased their training skills in line with international standards. The ToT programme will assist not only trainers, but all others working in the area of capacity building, where the transfer of knowledge, skills and information is critical. This training was unique in that the skills component was complemented by the use of human rights topics.

The RRRT trainers who graduated from the course provide human rights training for government departments and civil society organisations throughout the Pacific region. This ToT training provides graduates with enhanced skills and techniques, leading to improved services and outcomes in SPC member countries.

Matakina Simii, a disability advocate in Tuvalu, is optimistic that she will put the knowledge she acquired from the ToT training to good use. One of her first priorities when she returns home will be to advocate through her training for the ratification of the Convention for the Rights of People with Disability, so that more children with disability can access education.

Commenting on the course, RRRT Country Focal Officer in Kiribati, Amberoti Nikora, who was previously a Member of Parliament in Kiribati, said he would have done better as a human rights advocate in Parliament if he had received this training during his time as MP.

Lepolo Taunila, RRRT Country Focal Officer in Tonga and a former Tongan Member of Parliament, expressed a similar sentiment, saying that the training has taught her the importance of good training preparation, sourcing the right facts to support her training and understanding adult learning principles in order to tailor training to meet the needs of her learners.

As part of the training, the recipients discussed contemporary human rights issues affecting Pacific Island nations, including violence against women, children's rights to education and health services, refugee rights, corruption and media freedom.

The ToT course was conducted from January 28 to February 8 and included participants from Fiji, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia. The training was generously supported by AusAID.

For more information, please contact Jilda Shem, SPC-RRRT Communications Officer on +679 330 5994 or email [email protected]

The Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) is a programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and provides training, technical support, and policy and advocacy services tailored specifically for the Pacific region. Based in Suva, Fiji, RRRT has programmes across the Pacific Islands, with partners including governments, regional and civil society organisations

Visit the SPC website: www.spc.int

Wednesday 29 August 2012, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji –

Members of parliament in the Pacific have expressed alarm at the disturbing level of violence affecting women in the region. The Pacific has some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.

Sitting MPs from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu met in Brisbane last month to discuss the issue and demand responses.

Dame Carol Kidu, former leader of the opposition in PNG, who attended the meeting, said MPs 'were alarmed that the Pacific has the worst record globally for violence against women.

The meeting prompted fourteen MPs to write a letter in support of the UN Secretary-General's global UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. They are hoping more Pacific Island MPs will take up the cause to address the high rates of domestic, sexual and other types of gender-based violence affecting women and children in the Pacific.

Studies conducted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have found that in Kiribati 68 per cent of women aged 15 – 49 have experienced physical and or sexual violence.

In Solomon Islands the figure was 64 per cent and in Samoa it was 41 per cent. These figures are considered indicative of the scale of the problem across the region.

MPs are increasingly affirming that they have a pivotal role in addressing the issue through supporting law reform in parliament. Many of the present laws relating to violence against women in Pacific Island nations are decades old and do a poor job of recognising and responding to this complex social problem.

The introduction of new laws that provide more comprehensive legal responses and remedies can have a big impact on reducing rates of violence and providing support services to those affected.

The members of parliament signing in support of the UN Secretary-General's UNiTE campaign and calling for increased action in the Pacific were the Honourable Nandie Glassie and Tangata Vavia from Cook Islands, the Honourable Paliknoa Welly and Joseph Uresemal from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Honourable Martin Tofinga from Kiribati, the Honourable Regina Mesebeluu from Palau, former Opposition Leader Dame Carol Kidu from Papua New Guinea, the Honourable Clay Forau Soalaoi, Peter Tom, Martin Sopage and Vasian Lonamei from Solomon Islands, the Honourable Faalesa Pitoi from Tuvalu, and current Speaker of the House, the Honourable Dunstan Hilton, and former Minister for Justice, Isabelle Kora, from Vanuatu.

The MPs want their action to act as a catalyst for increased political awareness and effort throughout the Pacific to better protect women and children and ensure their right to live free from violence.

Pacific Leaders have, through the 2009 Cairns Communiqué, acknowledged that violence against women is an impediment to Pacific societies. They recognised sexual and gender based violence as a sensitive issue in Pacific cultures and noted that it is pervasive and underreported.

Addressing the problem 'at all levels of the community' is a priority, according to Leaders.

In 2010 the Pacific Islands Forum Regional Security Committee established a Reference Group to Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence.

The Reference Group's mandate is to raise awareness and guide national efforts to meet Forum Leaders' commitment to eradicate sexual and gender based violence and to ensure all individuals have equal protection of the law and equal access to justice.

For more information, contact Daiana Buresova, Senior Human Rights Legal Policy Researcher, SPC Regional Rights Resource Team: [email protected] +679 330 5582

Friday 20 July 2012, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Brisbane, Australia –

Dame Carol Kidu, former Leader of the Opposition in Papua New Guinea stated that, "Pacific countries are fighting issues of commonality such as climate change and violence against women despite the diversity of culture and language in the region".

Dame Kidu's remarks opened the Regional Human Rights Consultation for Members of Parliament held in Brisbane this week.

Dame Kidu shared the challenges she encountered in implementing human rights approaches as a PNG parliamentarian and emphasised that legislative reform especially in human rights related issues demanded courage of the parliamentarians and sensitising of one's constituency of the relevant human rights issue.

Dame Kidu highlighted that, "globalisation poses a greater threat to the region than colonisation and therefore it is imperative that human rights standards are adhered to."

She relayed her experience as the former PNG Minister of Community Development in which she was instrumental in lobbying for the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; adding that national ownership of such international treaties is vital.

Members of Parliament from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Niue, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are being exposed to critical human rights issues facing the Pacific region such as: climate change, sexual and gender based violence, national and regional human rights commissions, HIV and inclusivity of persons with disabilities at the 4th Pacific Consultation on Advancing Legislative Reform in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The consultation is aimed at providing an opportunity for Pacific Parliamentarians to gain further information on, and discuss current and critical human rights issues in their national parliaments.

The week long consultation ended with a mock parliament in which regional Parliamentarians raised and debated human rights issues.

The consultation is currently underway at the Park Regis North Quay Hotel in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 16 to 20 July 2012.

The annual consultation is facilitated by the SPC RRRT team in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and in partnership with UN Women and the Asia Pacific Forum for National Human Rights Institutions.

The consultation is made possible thanks to the generous funding of AusAID.

For more information, contact Lionel Aingimea ([email protected])