As a committed advocate for gender equality, I recently attended the commemoration of the completion of Phase I and the launch of Phase II of the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls. This milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and the journey ahead.
Gender-based violence is a global challenge, not just an issue confined to the Pacific or Australia. In my lifetime, I have witnessed gradual changes in Australia through education and increased awareness of the negative impact of established attitudes and behaviors on women and girls. I have also worked extensively in the Pacific region with dedicated individuals striving to prevent, address, and respond to gender-based violence, contributing significantly to our collective response to this issue.
Despite our progress, the statistics remain alarming. The Pacific region has some of the highest rates of intimate partner violence globally, with 30 to 60 percent of women in most countries experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. In Australia, Prime Minister Albanese has described the situation as a national crisis, with one in four Australian women experiencing sexual violence and one in two experiencing sexual harassment in their lifetime. In Fiji, the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre reports that over the past decade, an average of six women per year have been killed as a result of ongoing gender-based violence.
The rise of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and the impacts of artificial intelligence pose additional challenges. These issues have significant real-world impacts, leading to women’s exclusion from family and community networks, increased absenteeism from school or work, and the abandonment of potential careers in the public eye such as politics or journalism.
Economically, gender-based violence costs an estimated $1.5 trillion globally each year, according to the World Bank. So, what are we doing to address it?
In Australia, the Government has committed to the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, which aims to coordinate actions across all sectors and levels of government to address, prevent, and respond to gender-based violence. The National Cabinet has also committed to various strategies, including crisis support for women leaving violent relationships, enacting new laws to combat online harms, and measures to reduce the exposure of children and young people to violent content.
Additionally, Australia is developing a new international gender equality strategy that seeks to place gender equality at the center of foreign policy, international development, humanitarian action, trade, and security efforts. Australia has also partnered with Fiji to support its National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls (2023-2028), with Fiji demonstrating real leadership in this area under Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya.
The Australian High Commission team in Fiji, in collaboration with the Fiji Government, regional organizations, UN agencies, civil society, and other development partners, are making concerted efforts to tackle gender-based violence. Australia is further working with Pacific partners through initiatives such as the Pacific Women Lead program and Phase II of the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls, alongside the European Union, UN Women, the Pacific Community, and the Pacific Islands Forum.
We have made progress, but there is a long way to go globally. As gender inequality is the root cause of gender-based violence, addressing this issue requires collective action at both an individual and societal level. Individuals, particularly men, must call out and stop condoning violence against women and girls— a task that requires courage but is essential. Women must be given the freedom to make decisions for themselves in both their public and private lives. We must also challenge rigid gender stereotyping and dominant forms of masculinity that emphasize aggression, dominance, and control.
While difficult, it is crucial to have the conversation and raise awareness to change individuals’ and communities’ behaviors. I invite you to partner with us on this challenging yet vital mission. It is only by working together, as Vuvale, that we can make a difference.
Ewen McDonald is Australia’s High Commissioner in Fiji and Australia’s inaugural Special Envoy for the Pacific and Regional Affairs. The views expressed in this article are the author’s and not necessarily shared by this newspaper.