LAST Friday marked the official launching of the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) three gender policies at the Coral Sea Hotel.

The three gender policies launched are the new action plan policy (WPSNAP) Women Peace and Security Action Plan and the two revised; Gender Equality and Women’s development policy (GEWD) and Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls policy (EVAWG).

UN WOMEN representative and country programme coordinator, Ms Alvina Lillie Soaki Erekali was a guest speaker at the programme.

She initially congratulated Hon Freda AB Tuki Soriacomua, Minister of WYCFA (Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs) for their hardworking team upon the official launching of GEWD, EVAWG and WPSNAP.

Ms Erekali said that under the Joint UN-SIG programme, UNW supported the MWYCFA through technical advice upon the review of the EVAW policy and the related National Action Plans (NAPs).

“Extensive consultations resulted in an improved monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the new policy”, she said.

Ms Erekali added that the joint programme aims to ensure that victims of gender based violence, particularly women and girls have better access to protection and assistance through effective implementation of EVAWG policies with focus on quality multi-sectoral service delivery.

Moreover, she said that through the collaboration of the joint UNDP and UNW peace building programme and support from the Australian government to develop the WPSNAP, UNW was able to bring a women together to the first WPS Women’s Summit which served to discuss and validate the new action plan.

Ms Erekali said that Solomon Islands is one of the pilot countries for the implementation of ESP (Essential Services Priorities).

In addition, she said that EPS aims to provide greater access to an organized set of essential and quality multi-sectoral services for all women and girls who have gone through gender based violence.

Ms Erekali mentioned how women possess an ability that enables them to contribute wholesomely to sectors of the country given that they have a life that is free from violence and discrimination.

“There are countless studies that tell us that women have greater ability to fully contribute to the economy, the workplace, their homes and communities if they have access to equal opportunities for education, health care and social protection services and to decent work, and the recognition and valuing of unpaid care and domestic work and also if they have a life free of violence and discrimination”, she said.

Ms Erekali also said that UNW looks forward to supporting the government in the future to develop a national strategy for the primary prevention of violence.

“UNW commends the leadership of the MWYCFA around EWAG. UNW is committed to support access to essential services and stopping violence before it starts”, she said.

Ms Erekali in her closing remarks spoke of how the task of addressing gender equality may be rough journey but certainly one that can be conquered.

“The task before us is not easy, but it is also not impossible. We have the building blocks in the existing normative frameworks including the gender documents that will be launched today.

We cannot afford complacency, but we must continue to build momentum and pursue the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment at an accelerated pace”, she said.