Nauru

The Australian Government, through Pacific Women, has committed approximately $5.1m over 10 years (2012–2022) on initiatives to support women’s empowerment in Nauru.

There are two key documents providing information about the gender equality work in Nauru:

Figures

(cumulative to June 2019 unless otherwise stated)

Community awareness and outreach

  • 2 workshops delivered leadership knowledge and skills to 38 potential women candidates and three declared women candidates, through UN Women support.
  • Sexual assault training conducted with Police, Home Affairs Department and medical staff in conjunction with Australian Federal Police.
  • 22 potential young emerging leaders participated in two leadership trainings.
  • Referral pathways for survivors of domestic violence established between key government service providers.

Counselling and other support services

  • 1 counsellor adviser provided counselling and support services, plus counsellor training.
  • 6 people (5 women and 1 man) improved their counselling skills through studying the Diploma in Community Health and Wellbeing course at the University of New England.

Achievements

Leadership and Decision Making

  • Support for a Women’s Practice Parliament organised by UN Women helped 30 women and men to prepare for Nauru’s 2016 election by learning about parliament processes and transformational leadership. An example participant from the Women’s Practice Parliament is Gabrissa Hartman, who successfully contested the Ubenide by-election in January 2017, becoming the third woman ever elected to the Nauru Parliament.
  • Nauru was represented at the United Nation’s Development Programme’s (UNDP) two Pacific Women in Power Forums, by the Isabella Dageago and the Hon. Charmaine Eraidinomo Scotty. The first forum was held in Fiji during March, and the second in Australia in November 2019. Women Members of Parliament (MPs) are using the networking, mentoring and information sharing arising from the Forum to progress initiatives back in their home parliaments.
  • Women’s Affairs Officers and Legal Advisers can now represent survivors of domestic violence in court in cases concerning breaches of protection orders. This is a result of support for amendments to the Administration of Justice Act 2018 through the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) and responds to challenges of representation which have hindered the Domestic Violence and Family Protection Act 2017 since commencement.

Ending Violence against Women

  • The Child Protection and Welfare Act 2016 is enacted, through support to UNICEF and SPC RRRT. The Ministry of Home Affairs is using its mandate to take action to prevent and protect children in Nauru from harm.
  • Local counselling and social work capacity in Nauru is being enhanced through the Pacific Community (SPC) Health and Wellbeing Education project. Five women and one man have undertaken the Diploma in Community Health and Wellbeing course through the University of New England. This boost to counselling capacity is being complemented by referral services facilitated through the Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism and Ministry of Health.

Enhancing Agency

  • The Government of the Republic of Nauru increased its capacity to generate sex-disaggregated data and to use gender statistics to guide national policy and decision-making, evaluation and learning and human rights reporting. This resulted from support to SPC’s Progressing Gender Equality in the Pacific (PGEP) project.

Pacific Women partners in Country

Government of Nauru: Ministry of Home Affairs, Health and Education.

Other partners: Australian Department of the House of Representatives; Pacific Community (SPC): Progressing Gender Equality in the Pacific (PGEP) and the Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT); Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism; UN Women; UNICEF; University of New England; and Pacific Women’s regional partners.

Details on activities for each country, including those supported by the regional program, are available via the interactive map. The full list of program partners can be found here.