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By Vilimaina Naqelevuki – PWL at SPC
The Direct Grant Support to Vanuatu writeshop has assisted four departments from the Government of Vanuatu to write more effective proposals to access gender equality grants, hosted by the Pacific Women Lead (PWL) at the Pacific Community (SPC)
Vanuatu’s Department of Industry, Department of Agriculture from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries & Biosecurity and the Department of Women’s Affairs from the Ministry of Justice and Community Services attended.
Mary Andrew, the Sanma Industry Development Officer from the Department of Industry, said that the sessions have assisted them greatly to build their skills in proposal writing and familiarise themselves with SPC’s granting process.
“These sessions will help us build our capacities and in turn help the women we are supporting in both Sanma and Malampa Province,” she explained.
She also highlighted the importance of the PWL at SPC’s Grants process.“ It will help us provide further training and workshops for women farmers in these two provinces. It will also help them take up leadership roles within their families and communities.”
The grants are offered for government-led gender equality initiatives which aim to support partners and member governments to mainstream Pacific regional gender equality commitments and contribute to Pacific Women Lead outcomes.
Sala Tupou, Programmes Coordinator for PWL at SPC explained how the direct support also gives the opportunity for the team to also network with Vanuatu’s ministries, including its Women’s Development Division, to better understand the national gender coordination among partners.
“We are here to present the SPC grant-making processes to national partners in the government, including templates; understand the mechanics for project management with Vanuatu government ministerial and finance systems; respond to queries; assess draft concept notes, and also help to firm up their communications plans,” she said.
The sessions were held over three days from 6-8 June with sessions covering SPC’s grants processes, grant templates, and a communications session.
About Pacific Women Lead
One of the largest global commitments to gender equality, Pacific Women Lead aims to promote women’s leadership, realise women’s rights, and increase the effectiveness of regional gender equality efforts.
The Pacific Women Lead (PWL) at the Pacific Community (SPC) programme, termed PWL at SPC, has more than AUD 55 million dedicated to its work under the Australian Government’s AUD 170 million Pacific Women Lead portfolio. This partnership with the Australian Government commits SPC to deliver the PWL programme, as the cornerstone for the portfolio.
