Forty-two participants from 12 Pacific Island countries have completed the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre’s (FWCC) 46th Regional Training Programme on Gender, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Human Rights.

The graduates represented 22 organisations, including women’s crisis centres, government departments, non-governmental organisations, legal aid services, prosecutorial services and frontline support providers.

The four-week programme brought together participants from Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Palau, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.

Training covered feminist analysis, human rights, counselling, advocacy, legal and policy responses, technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, climate change, disability rights and community-based interventions.

FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali said the programme continues to build the knowledge and skills of individuals and organisations working to address violence against women and girls across the Pacific.

Ali said the programme began in 1995 with just five participants from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, but has since become one of the region’s leading capacity-building programmes in gender equality and women’s human rights.

More than 2,000 women and men from Fiji and across the Pacific have completed the training since its establishment.

Ali said many graduates have gone on to improve support services, influence policies, advocate for legislative reform and contribute to national and regional efforts to advance women’s human rights.

The programme also allowed participants to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and share effective approaches, strengthening cooperation across the Pacific.

FWCC acknowledged the support of the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Asian Development Bank, the Pacific Feminist Fund and PNG Immigration and Citizenship Services in helping participants attend this year’s programme.