July Newsletter 2021

Aug 12, 2021 | Newsletters | 0

Sista wishes Vanuatu a happy 41st anniversary!

The highlight of this month was having more team members join the Sista squad including Iline Johnson, Finance Officer, Rosina Kaimbang, Project Officer, and Megan Rossiter, who will be volunteering with us for the next three months as our Human Resources and Leadership consultant. Thank you ladies for bringing your energy, knowledge and skills into the Sista office, we are excited to learn and grow with you. We are thrilled (and relieved) to work with Kathy and Steve from Arise consultancy to help us set up our financial system. Thank you CARE for your support to facilitate this consultancy so we can get Sista’s systems up and running.

We spent most of July planning for our various projects including our upcoming Fashion Show (supported by Ambassade de France) and co-implementing the fourth cycle of the Young Women’s Leadership Program with CARE Vanuatu. We were also thrilled to receive Podcast Training from PACMAS and can’t wait for you to hear our podcast that will be launched in a few months – it’s going to be awesome and unique to the Pacific!

Perhaps the most exciting thing of all is that we secured our funding order with the We Rise Coalition to support the Sista team with salaries and to strengthen our organizational processes and communications. We are so grateful for this partnership as we are now able to continue our work, which has been mostly voluntary over the years, and the Executive Director does not have to work several jobs at once just to continue the mission of Sista. Thank you We Rise Coalition for helping us in our mission and for showing us the true meaning of sisterhood. Yu yes!

Projects

‘Strong Mama’ Retreat and Workshop, FRIDA FUND

On the 3^rd of July, the participants of the Strong Mama program attended a retreat at Dream Cove, Pango. During this retreat, the mamas participated in a women’s circle and mediation session led by Chanelle Bjornum of Tehya Skye, leaving the mamas feeling more deeply connected to themselves and each other. Afterwards the single mothers had a color therapy session led by the gallivanting goddess that is JoJo Vanuatu, who is a boutique fashion designer specializing in silk dye pieces, and the day ended with the mamas having the gift of being able to create their own individual unique silk scarves with the guidance of JoJo. Thank you Chanelle and Jojo for holding space and bringing out the magic in each of the mamas!

On the 17^thof July, the participants created their art pieces expressing their journey as a single mama with the support of the incredibly talented Carole Recrouex, and we kindly received donations of paper to paint on from Top Signs. These art pieces will be displayed at the exhibition at Alliance Francaise on the 17^th to the 20^th of August, and we can’t wait to see you there!

Sista Gat Style – Life & Style Magazine

On the month of our Independence anniversary, we celebrated Elisa Mondou. Hailing from the Banks Islands, Elisa keeps herself busy studying Psychology and Social Work at USP and working in the community as an advocate for women’s rights and mental health. She enjoys gardening, photography, writing and hanging out with her friends in her down time. While Elisa loves her studies and work, she is also a firm believer in taking time for self-discovery and self-care in order to find her place in the world. Elisa says, “Accepting myself in all my phases is one thing I love about myself because it’s not easy to admit we have flaws. I allow God to continue to shape and mold me.”

Thank you for inspiring us Elisa!

Planning and Preparation

Reforming the Maintenance of Children Act (MCA), PPAC RRT

When we applied for PPAC last year, our goal was to advocate for reform of MCA and demonstrate the lack of support to single mothers by identifying and working with stakeholders who work with single mothers, and collecting data related to MCA.

After doing our initial scope of identifying stakeholders, the Vanuatu Law Reform Commission (VLRC) welcomed our campaign idea and told us we did not need to do a petition to advocate for reform for MCA, as the government is already committed to law reform, as part of the (yet to be endorsed) National Gender Equality Policy 2021-2030 (NGEP).

The project included background research on the Act and its requirements, consultations with single mothers on the accessibility of the Act’s procedures and the adequacy of support provided under the Act, and consultations were conducted with partners and stakeholders on the reform process.

Key issues identified in the project included:

The established amount of support under the act of 1000 vatu a week does not cover the cost of the care, upbringing and schooling of a child today
The proceedings are unduly slow and cumbersome, and place a disproportionate burden on the applicant

Based on the consultations and further research on the key issues, Sista developed a recommendations report with the support of Gender Economist volunteer Caroline Hughes and our partner HCDI (Human Capacity Development International). Sista is now working with the Department of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Justice and the Vanuatu Law Reform Commission to continue to build off recommendation from the report and is currently working on detailed workplan to submit to PPAC to receive our next grant. Thank you PPAC for your support in our advocacy work.

Young Women’s Leadership Program, Co-Implementation workshop with CARE

On the 15^th of July, the Executive Director, Senior Project Officer and Communications, Advocacy & Events Officer visited the CARE office to sit down with the GET team (Gender Equality Team) to discuss our collaboration on implementing the 4^th cycle of the Young Women’s Leadership Program (YWLP). We have also been busy liaising with CARE on the GO! Cyber project to develop a series of video clips which will be produced in August with Markson Taiki.

What is the Young Women Leadership Program (YWLP)?

YWLP funded with the generous support of the Australian Government, is a 12-month program for emerging leaders that builds leadership skills through workshops, partnership with an experienced mentor, participation in small group action projects, internships and connection with a growing network of passionate young women working towards gender equality across Vanuatu. This cycle will be co-delivered by Sista and CARE Vanuatu. This program will support 50 emerging young women leaders aged between the ages of 18-30. This cohort will include 40 young women based in Port Vila and 10 young women from Tanna to take part.

‘Yumi Gat Style’ Fashion show, Ambassade de France

On Thursday 23^rd September 2021, Sista will hold it’s first ever fashion show with the support of Ambassade de France. The goal of this project is to empower women and girls through a fashion show, build the capacity of the fashion industry including the handicraft sector and transform public perceptions of Melanesian beauty with a strong focus on Ni-Vanuatu culture.

Unlike other similar events in the past, this event would focus on design and creativity rather than emulate a beauty pageant. By focusing on celebrating Ni-Vanuatu fashion through culture and art, rather than centering it on beauty, the fashion show would enable an environment to boost the fashion industry, showcase the products of the handicraft sector and simultaneously encourage Ni-Vanuatu women to claim space and present themselves in a way that is positive and culturally appropriate.

The Vanuatu Skills Partnership (VSP) has been identified as a key partner to support the objectives of the fashion show. The show provides an opportunity to showcase handicraft products that include accessories such as jewelry, bags and hats that meet both international and domestic demand and quality standards, while maintaining respect for culture and tradition.

Our objectives are:

To build capacity of local fashion designers
To celebrate Ni-Vanuatu culture through fashion and accessories
To showcase local handicraft products and diversify market access
To empower women and men and promote body positivity
To transform perceptions of fashion and beauty

Next month we meet with the designers and models….. stay tuned to find out more!

‘Strong Mama’ Exhibition, FRIDA FUND

Our ‘Strong Mama’ exhibition is coming up on the 17^th to the 20^th of August! Our team have been hard at work preparing and organizing this upcoming event, which will be held at Alliance Francaise. Our program participants have already done their artwork to display and so have some other mothers that wanted to create something for the exhibition. We can’t wait to see everyone’s art pieces all come together!

‘Journey To Change – Vanuatu Storian on GBV’ Spotlight Initiative

Sista and HCDI (Human Capacity Development International) have received a grant from Spotlight Initiative to use Pacific-based storian methods to raise GBV awareness and promote change.

What is the project?

This project is called ‘Journey to Change – Vanuatu Storian on GBV’ and focuses on storytelling or ‘storian’ or ‘talanoa’, which is an embedded part of Pacific culture and Indigenous cultures generally, as an alternative, effective tool for raising GBV awareness and promoting change. This project focuses on the “journey to change” to show the path to change and its challenges, based on the stories of those on the path: survivors, health and justice officers, community helpers, and reformed offenders.

Underlying the journey will be the message of a healthy and peaceful society as a viable and much needed alternative to the violence currently faced by women, and how, working together, we can attain this.

Stories will be collected from varied groups, including GBV survivors, reformed perpetrators, assistance providers, and community leaders to show what has and what has not worked, and what can and what must happen to create change. We will be producing a documentary and illustrated booklet, and are currently conducting research and preparing to meet with stakeholders. The first activity we have done this month is meet with Dr. Astrid Kersten from HCDI who implemented a training workshop on how to conduct interviews effectively and with sensitivity.

Other

Online training Podcasting for Women’s Empowerment, PACMAS ABC

From the 19^th to the 23^rd of July, our team attended Podcast training via zoom with Mike Williams, a documentary and podcast producer from ABC. Participants included partners from the We Rise Coalition. On the Monday and Tuesday sessions we learned about the key opportunities and principles of podcasting. For the rest of week, the sessions were more skills-focused and design. We can’t wait to launch this podcast that will speak to the modern Pacific woman.

Sista Finance Update

Given that Sista only received its first grant last year, this year is the first time that we’ve had to provide financial reports and it has definitely been a challenge. Thankfully we are up for a challenge with our incredible Program Manager, Irene Abbock, tasked to manage not only programs, but also our finances and administration! At the end of June, we had to provide reports to CARE and PPAC, as well as to the New Zealand High Commission for the Sista Stanap Strong anthology launch.

In the midst of preparing all these financial reports, Sista welcomed our new finance officer Iline Johnson who basically was thrown into the deep end! She has swum to the other side, and we are relieved the financial reporting is over, but there is still a lot of work to be done, as we have also begun the process of setting up our financial and admin systems with the support of Arise, our Finance Consultant that has been recruited and paid for by CARE. Talk about a busy, crazy month!

Ananda Yoga Lunch

‘You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes everyday – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.’

And because we know it can get crazy busy in our office, we make sure that we take time out for SELF-CARE! We have partnered with Ananda Yoga and Healing Center to provide our team with yummy healthy food and access to yoga and healing services. It’s an every day commitment to self-improve (and it is not easy to hold yourself accountable to your toxic ways), but we know that showing up for ourselves, means we can show up for the women of Vanuatu. Thank you Tu for holding space for us and sharing tools with us so we can heal.

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NEWS

In Unity Our Advocacy Becomes a Chorus The women working to end violence in Vanuatu September 14, 2023
What comes to mind when you think of the Pacific? The rhetoric usually centres on happiness and holidays, cocktails by the beach and the cordial welcome received from locals wherever one may travel. The shout of Bula in Fiji, a Welkam in Vanuatu, or a Malo e lelei in Tonga. While that story does indeed ring true for many, there is another story that needs to be told: the work of an incredible cohort across the region working to combat, and end, all forms of violence against women. The Pacific region has some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world, with up to 68 percent of women having reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime. This figure is more than twice the global average. Pacific Women Lead’s 2021 National Survey on Women’s Lives and Family Relationships evidenced amongst those women who have ever had an intimate sexual relationship with a partner in Vanuatu: 60 percent had experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime 68 percent had experienced emotional violence 28 percent were subjected to several forms of control by their partner 69 percent experienced at least one form of coercive control, and most of these were continuing to live lives involving physical and sexual violence Women are constantly at risk of violence and threats, regardless of where they are. Women are not safe on the streets, in their homes, at work, in places of study, places of worship, or places of recreation. Any small change is a step in the right direction The global Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls is a United Nations joint initiative supported by the European Union and other partners. The Spotlight Initiative in the Pacific focuses its work on four key pillars: Policy and legislation Institutions Prevention Data A comprehensive approach is being implemented within the Pacific nations through the targeting of multiple settings for change such as the education sector, government, churches, the justice sector, and civil society organisations (CSOs), and by working across a variety of levels of the socio-ecological model. UNDP’s support to Vanuatu via the Spotlight Initiative sees it working with small, grassroots organisations – making an impact from the ground up. Through the establishment of a grantee program, UNDP Pacific has undertaken a second phase and partnered with six grassroots organisations on empowering women in rural communities, initiating a range of activities that, in many cases, support service provision, innovative solutions and engagement activities that aim to provide information and basic services to those who otherwise lack access. These grants go a long way and have made significant impact thus far, with the program also identifying those grassroots organisations who have the capacity to engage communities nationwide in the provision of justice, health, and economic support services to survivors of intimate partner violence. However, in Vanuatu, it is a far greater challenge to change this deeply ingrained behaviour; it is the kind of change that requires more than the delivery of an awareness session in a small community, or within the nakamal, should deep, long-lasting behavioural change occur. The way we now frame the topic has completely changed And as a result, the narrative is now changing. For sustainable, long-term progress on ending violence against women, men, women, and children; young, old and those in between, all must unite in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). “The way we now frame the topic has completely changed, it’s no longer just a women’s problem. While the vast majority of perpetrators are men, if we want to make change, we need to realise that this can only be done via a whole-of-community approach,” said Dr. Astrid Kersten, Executive Director of Human Capacity Development International (HCDI). HCDI take a whole-of-community approach to their work, collaborating with village chiefs all the way through to younger members of the community. This approach sees a broad cross-section of voices and opinions accounted for, ensuring that through community buy-in the behaviour change work they undertake is sustainable in the long-term. As one of the recipient organisations (alongside their partner, Sista) to receive a grant via the Spotlight Initiative, HCDI and Sista focused on two key activities: The development of community resources to assist in community awareness development and collective action, related to reducing GBV; and To build on and promote the Stanap Strong website as a resource to support victims, families of victims, and the general population. HCDI and Sista are making inroads and inspiring change, no doubt, but Astrid still has moments of self-doubt as to just how much progress they are making on ending violence against women. “I do keep thinking, ‘is this really making a difference?’ It is still hard going, training and capacity building are still key right across Vanuatu, and we need continued support to help us beyond the Spotlight Initiative. “These grants may be small but with our work it doesn’t take a whole lot of money to ensure that we can have significant impact,” she said. When you lift up women you lift the entire community When the grassroots organisation Sista was established in 2016, its main purpose was to create a space for Ni-Vanuatu women to connect, share and uplift each other. Sista began its journey as an online magazine and over the past eight years has evolved into a women’s rights organisation driven by feminist values. Josephine Tarianga serves as Sista’s Resource Coordinator, a powerhouse of a young woman. Having worked as a journalist, at just 22 she is not only working with Sista, and Vanuatu’s We Rise Coalition, she is also studying a double degree of Law and Commerce with the University of the South Pacific. Blending her passions of media and communications with furthering women’s rights, Josephine says that just because you’re a feminist, it doesn’t equate to you not being committed to your community. “Things are still very male dominated here, but at the same time change is in the air. Women are the focal read more…

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VANGO Chairman Calls for NGO, CSO Registration Ahead of Mapping Exercise September 14, 2023
Mr. William Nasak, the chairman of the Vanuatu Association of Non-Government Organisations (VANGO), is calling on all Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) established in the provinces to register with VANGO before the mapping exercise visits begin. The mapping exercise will visit all six provinces with tentative dates across September and October, hosting workshops for NGO/CSOs to ensure there is better coordination between organisations and with government, increase NGO/CSOs visibility and align NGO/CSO programs and interventions to the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP). “The ultimate goal of the project, as the next step, is to develop a standardised reporting template for NGO/CSOs to ensure that their achievements and interventions in Vanuatu are recognised in the NSDP progress reporting,” Ms Abraham, Secretary General (SG) of VANGO, shared. “After the mapping VANGO will collaborate with the NGO desk office and the Department of Strategic Planning, Policy and Aid Coordination (DSSPAC) to bring this reporting template to life so NGO/CSOs can be acknowledged for their work.” As part of the mapping exercise, registered organisations will have the opportunity to complete Institutional Assessment Mapping (IAM). The IAM supports organisations to increase their profile as well as assess and map out their resources and organisational capacity, contributing to development effectiveness. This will be beneficial for wide range of stakeholders including the NGO/CSOs, international agencies and policy makers. Preparations for the provincial mapping visits are well underway with a pre-workshop to train enumerators (selected from current VANGO members) hosted on the 6th of September. To ensure the mapping is successful and reflects the wide range of NGO/CSOs across all provinces of Vanuatu, all community organisations should reach out to VANGO now to become members. VANGO acknowledges the DSSPAC Unit for the funding support to implement this exercise. It also extended its acknowledgement to the Government of Australia through the Oxfam Australia and Save the Children for the operational funding of VANGO. _________________________________________________________ SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Quai to Launch New EP Album and Raise Funds for Children’s Ward September 14, 2023
Vanuatu’s music icon, Vanessa Quai, is gearing up for a special concert on the 5th of October. The primary objective of this event is to unveil her highly anticipated Extended Play (EP) Album, while also mobilising resources to support the Children’s Ward. Miss Quai revealed that her inspiration for this charitable endeavour stemmed from a conversation with a doctor from the Children’s Ward. The doctor had shared the pressing need for a new heart-scanning machine dedicated to paediatric patients, as the current one is outdated and unreliable. “Upon learning of this critical need, I felt compelled to leverage my platform to raise funds and contribute to the Children’s Ward,” explained Quai. She announced the release of six exceptional songs, marked by the lyrical inspiration she has poured into them. These tracks are the result of collaborations with talented producers and featured artists. “After a hiatus of five years since my last album, ‘Light it up,’ I am excited to release new songs this year in the form of an EP album,” she said. The concert, slated for the Warwick Le Lagon, promises to be a delightful evening reminiscent of a buffet night. Attendees can savor a sumptuous buffet dinner and enjoy complimentary drinks while being entertained. Quai will grace the stage with an hour-long performance, followed by other esteemed artists from Port Vila, including Sheila Wilz, Dalinda, Max Albert, Tujah, and the KR dancers. Ms Quai disclosed ticket details, with adult tickets priced at VT7,000 and children’s tickets at VT5,000. Attendees are encouraged to hold onto their tickets, as there will be raffle prizes to be won, and some lucky patrons may even depart with a complimentary EP album. Quai encourages everyone to support the concert, adding the money spent on tickets not only grants access to an unforgettable event but also serves as a meaningful donation towards enhancing the Children’s Ward. “Your attendance will make a real difference in the lives of our young patients,” she said. _________________________________________________________ SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Consultation on GBV Response Marks Progress in Gender Equality Policy September 11, 2023
A consultation on the Multi-Service Delivery Protocol (MSDP) for responding to Gender-based Violence (GBV) against women and girls ended on Thursday this week. More than 20 partners were involved in the two-day consultation as the government of Vanuatu is taking strides to implement the first strategic area of the National Gender Equality Policy. The consultation was jointly hosted by United Nations (UN) Women and the Department of Women Affairs and aligns with the ongoing development of the National Policy on Gender Equality, which comprises five distinct strategic areas. The Acting Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Justice and Community Services (MOJCS), Pacco Siri, officially opened the two-day meeting on the 6th of September. Mr. Siri expressed his satisfaction in witnessing the dedication of partners and the national government to craft a comprehensive national document addressing the coordination of services for survivors, a vital necessity for victims and survivors of violence. The Acting DG shared a vision where all family members can reside in secure and safe environments, spanning homes, communities, islands, and the entirety of Vanuatu as a secure nation. The national consultation on MSDP builds upon earlier provincial consultations conducted in 2019 and 2020. However, the completion of this crucial work was delayed due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of hurricanes in recent years. According to the MOJCS, Vanuatu’s current focus lies on strategic area 1, which aims to “eliminate discrimination and violence against women and girls”. The MOJCS also stated that within the Pacific region, Vanuatu grapples with one of the highest rates of GBV, with statistics revealing that 60 percent of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetimes. “Additionally, 68 percent have encountered emotional violence, and 69 percent have been subject to coercive control by intimate partners. “The National Sustainable Development Plan 2030 identifies the importance of working together to address gender-based violence under the Society Pillar,” the Ministry reported. Reports from the Ministry show that during natural disasters the rate of GBV in Vanuatu is very high. _________________________________________________________ SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Vanuatu Introduces Provincial Disability Officers and Committees September 6, 2023
The Vanuatu Disability Desk and the Vanuatu Skills Partnership (VSP) embarked on a collaborative journey last month in a significant step towards bolstering support for persons with disabilities in Vanuatu. The visit spanned the provinces of TAFEA, SANMA, and PENAMA, marking a decisive moment for the nation’s commitment to inclusivity and rights, as well as to introduce newly recruited provincial disability officers. The VSP plays a crucial role as the primary funder of these recently established positions within the Ministry of Justice and Community Services (MoJCS) structure, operating under the Human Rights Unit. Furthermore, VSP extends financial and technical support to the Unit for the seamless implementation of activities aligned with the Government Sector Support and Strengthening Plan. The Disability Desk of the MoJCS expressed deep appreciation to the VSP for their invaluable cooperation and financial backing. This partnership signifies a concerted effort to drive positive change and enhance the lives of persons with disabilities. Among the key developments during this joint effort, the VSP discussed a comprehensive work plan with the newly recruited officers. This collaborative approach provides an opportunity to align priorities, emphasize the significance of the partnership, and collectively work towards achieving impactful outcomes throughout the implementation period. The strong partnership between the Disability Desk and VSP is further exemplified by their shared work plan. This strategic collaboration extends beyond the introduction phase, as both entities are committed to continuing their engagement and knowledge sharing in the future. Anticipating future endeavours, there are plans to extend similar introductions and deepen partnerships in other provinces. This approach fosters a rich exchange of knowledge and strategies, enabling these organisations to address disability-related challenges in Vanuatu effectively. These efforts align with the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP), known as the “People’s Plan.” All engagements and activities remain steadfastly in line with the three primary pillars of the NSDP, ensuring that progress is consistent with the nation’s overarching development goals. _________________________________________________________ SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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July Newsletter 2021

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July Newsletter 2021

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