Vanuatu Feminist Forum

Nov 14, 2022 | National Feminist Forum, The Pacific Feminist Forum | 0

Vanuatu will be holding its first ever National Feminist Forum on the 17th and 18th November 2022. The closed event will mobilize diverse Ni-Vanuatu women to share knowledge and experiences, celebrate achievements and strategize for collective action to achieve women’s human rights.

“The Vanuatu Feminist Forum is an opportunity for all of us in the women’s movement to learn and grow together to advance gender equality through storian,” says Yasmine Bjornum, Executive Director of Sista. “We understand that the word ‘feminist’ is not widely accepted across the Pacific, and we had to explore with other women’s groups what this word means to us in the Vanuatu context and how we can apply the theory and practice with respect to our traditional and Christian values. It’s an ongoing journey that will continue well after the forum.”

The national forum will build off the Pacific Feminist Forum, which has previously been a regional event held in 2016 and 2019 in Fiji that saw over 150 women from across the Pacific region attend.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, plans were made to hold in-country forums across 16 Pacific Countries in the lead up to another regional event, which will be held virtually in the coming months. This event is being supported by the We Rise Coalition the Secretariat hosted at Fiji Women’s Rights Movement.

At the end of the national forum, an outcome statement will be developed based on four key areas: women’s representation in Vanuatu politics, women’s access to quality sexual reproductive health care, intergenerational dialogue and inclusive collaboration, and gender in climate justice and climate change.

The Working Group for the Vanuatu Feminist Forum consists of Sista, CARE in Vanuatu, ActionAid Vanuatu, VPride Foundation, GATE Minds, Vanuatu Young Women For Change and Vanuatu Human Rights Coalition. For more information, visit www.sista.com.vu.

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ENGLISH

Myths and Misconceptions about feminism (ENGLISH)

Pacific Feminist Charter (English)

Pacific Feminist Action Plan (English)

BISLAMA

Myths and Misconceptions about feminism (BISLAMA)

Pacific Feminist Charter (Bislama)

Pacific Feminist Action Plan (Bislama)

Have a look at the Vanuatu National Feminist Forum Program Booklet.

Read the outcome statement here: VNFF outcome statement

Watch these short videos of the NFF Working Group members as they explain what feminism means to them.

Find out What feminism means to us in Vanuatu.

Check out the Vanuatu National Feminist Forum Photos .

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