Titilia Rabuatoka, the Pacific Community, Project Implementation Officer, Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division
Resilience is a cross-cutting sector and requires implementing relevant climate change adaptation measures within rapidly changing contexts.
As a woman working in the Resilience sector, it can be intimidating sometimes but it only pushes me to do and be better and to help other women in the sector.
I believe women bring a different perspective to the resilience platform and in my line of work we promote this by, for example, having separate groups for men, women and youths during in-country consultations to ensure everyone’s voice is included.
This encourages women (and youths) to share their views openly in their groups and to be heard. The old African proverb, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a family” is something to live by.
I believe women add value to climate change adaptation actions and their sustainability in the communities so including women in trainings on maintenance and monitoring of water tanks, for example, is very important in the long run.
The diversity of women in this sector, at least within SPC, is a testament to how far Pacific women have progressed towards a diverse, equitable and inclusive Resilience sector.
I would like to pay homage to our predecessors who paved the way for us. I salute my colleagues who are breaking the bias with me today and I encourage young girls and women out there to continue breaking barriers for a sustainable tomorrow.
