Pacific Women Plan For The Future
Pacific Women Plan For The Future
4 March
2001
Network Against Violence Against Women.
For more
information contact: Shamima Ali Ph: (679) 992 875
All
press releases and updates on the third regional Meeting on
Violence Against Women, can be accessed on
our website
http://www.fijiwomen.com
SUVA: Members of the Pacific Women's Network
Against
Violence Against Women have concluded their
third
regional meeting with the drawing up of a set
of
resolutions that will provide the framework for
their
work over the next four years, a conference
media
release says.
Many of the resolutions reflect the
ongoing nature of
the network's work, such as the
continuation of
counselling and support services,
community awareness
on the issue of violence against
women and children,
and lobbying for policy and
legislative reform to
promote and protect women's human
rights.
A new focus for the network that was addressed
in
detail during the meeting was the effect of
armed
conflict on women and children. In the preamble
to
the resolutions, the network states that
they
"recognise the links between the existence of
armed
military units and the resulting acceptance of
a
culture of violence."
The network has resolved to
work in solidarity with
women to address human rights
violations in areas
under armed conflict, and to support
the work of
women's organisations that are already
working towards
peace. One of the network members, the
Leitana Nehan
Women's Development Agency, has been
awarded the
Millenium Peace Prize for Women for their
contribution
towards the peacebuilding process in
Bougainville.
The network has also resolved to include the
active
participation of young people in the programmes of
the
network and to maintain the Young People's Forum as
a
space for them to address violations of their
human
rights. It was the first time that a Young
People's
Forum was included in the regional meeting of
the
network.
The resolutions were signed by
representatives from 21
of the organisations within the
Pacific Women's
Network Against Violence Against
Women.
ENDS