The Toksave Pacific Gender Resource (Toksave) is transitioning to a new home at the Pacific Community (SPC) as it continues to provide diverse research aimed at advancing gender equality across the Pacific.
“For the Pacific Community this is a pivotal moment to ensure the longevity of Toksave as an important online resource,” said SPC’s Principal Strategic Lead – Pacific Women and Girls, Mereseini Rakuita.
She added: “SPC is a fitting home for Toksave, ensuring it provides an uninterrupted research and repository service to support the advancement of gender equality across the Pacific.”
Beyond its role as a repository for Pacific gender research, Toksave plays a pivotal role in nurturing a network of researchers and practitioners focussed on improving gender equality in the Pacific.
Toksave hosts a wide range of research that aims to advance gender equality in the Pacific. It takes a broad approach to ‘research’ that includes original research based on the analysis of primary and secondary data, policy and evaluation-oriented research, research based on creative and performing arts, and completed high-level degree theses.
To mark the transition, there will be a symbolic handover of a ‘woven’ basket, made in Papua New Guinea. It will be passed from the Australian National University (ANU) Vice Chancellor, Professor Brian Schmidt, to SPC’s Principal Strategic Lead – Pacific Women and Girls, Mereseini Rakuita.
Toksave is a word derived from two others in the Tok Pisin language, tok and save can mean an announcement, to declare or to inform. The handing over of the woven basket signifies the handing over of a wealth of knowledge and research to SPC.
For Toksave, a distinct emphasis is placed on research that adheres to Pacific research methodologies, delves into Pacific-centric subject matter, and has meaningful impacts on Pacific communities.
At SPC, Toksave will be managed under the Pacific Women Lead at SPC programme (PWL at SPC) within the Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) Division. SPC will manage various tasks including website administration, outreach, communications, project management and governance activities.
In April 2021, the Toksave Pacific Gender Resource (Toksave) was launched during the Triennial Conference for Pacific Women. Since its establishment, Toksave has been housed at the Australian National University (ANU) and funded through the Australian Government, through PWL and SPC.
Toksave’s development and expansion have been fostered through purposeful engagement, including curated events and targeted outreach initiatives. Presently, Toksave has more than 300 members and boasts a collection exceeding 1000 resources. Notably, the resource is equipped with a discussion forum, maintains a presence on social media platforms, and circulates a dedicated weekly newsletter to alert subscribers to new additions.
About Pacific Women Lead at SPC
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.
