United in diversity to end violence against women and girls

SUVA, Fiji - The Spotlight Initiative, a global initiative of the United Nations that has received generous funding from the EU, has announced the final composition of its Pacific Regional Multi-Stakeholder Programme Steering Committee. The aim of the initiative is to end violence against women and girls (EVAWG).

With the addition of Mereseini Rakuita, SPC’s Principal Strategic Lead – Pacific Women, as co-chair, along with UN Resident Coordinator to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Sanaka Samarasinha, the team is now ready to support Spotlight’s implementation and alignment with Pacific regional priorities and commitments.

“The Pacific Regional Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee is an example of inclusion and representation... To deliver a gender-transformative impact in the Pacific region we cannot leave anyone behind.”  - H.E. Sujiro Seam, Ambassador of the European Union to the Pacific

Launched in 2020, and covering 16 Pacific Island countries, Spotlight provides a model for partnership with donors, civil society, and all UN partners, to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals in a comprehensive manner leveraging comparative expertise. The Initiative aims to improve access to services, particularly for those most left behind and builds upon existing programmes, both at the country and regional level. It builds on existing Pacific Islands Forum commitments as well as country-specific commitments in Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands to ending domestic and intimate partner violence.

According to the latest Progress report on Sustainable Development Goals[1], the Pacific region is far from making significant progress towards eliminating violence against women and girls, and gender equality (SDG 5).

To this end, this Steering Committee is key to advancing progress on EVAWG and the success of the Programme, as it embodies an inclusive and representative governance and accountability mechanism able to provide overall strategic management and coordination, in line with regional commitments and related priorities.

“The Committee is a resource for the entire Pacific EVAWG community. It is closely aligned to existing regional structures, to ensure efficacy, complementarity, and coherence with existing governance mechanisms and efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls across the region”, said Mereseini Rakuita, SPC’s Principal Strategic Lead – Pacific Women.

The Steering Committee leads by setting an example of inclusion and participation. The team comprises leaders from the Pacific Regional Disability Forum, representatives of the EVAWG CSO Regional Pacific Reference Group, representatives from PIFS, SPC, the Heads of UN Agencies involved in the Programme implementation, and the European Union.

“There has never been a better time to join forces against gender-based violence, and this Steering Committee is a testimony to the Pacific commitment to achieving gender equality.” - UN Resident Coordinator Sanaka Samarasinha

“The Pacific Regional Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee is an example of inclusion and representation. Aligning such a diverse pool of leaders and experts is complex and challenging, yet the Programme’s success hinges on it. To deliver a gender-transformative impact in the Pacific region we cannot leave anyone behind,” said H.E. Sujiro Seam, Ambassador of the European Union to the Pacific.

The Multi-Stakeholder Committee meets twice a year to provide overall strategic high-level management and coordination decisions related to the implementation of the Programme, reflecting the Initiative’s principles of inclusiveness, transparency, accountability, consensus-based decisions, regional and country-level participation, and ownership. 

“There has never been a better time to join forces against gender-based violence, and this Steering Committee is a testimony to the Pacific commitment to achieving gender equality. It is an honoUr and a privilege to co-chair this Steering Committee and help converge the team’s talents and resources to find a