Micronesian Women’s Conference
Agenda
Page 1
MICRONESIAN WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
Theme: navigating change
August 8 – 10, 2017
USPConference Room, Republic of the Marshall Islands
The conference will discuss challenges, learn from shared experiences and make resolutions for strategic interventions to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women regardingeliminating violence against women, realizing women’s economic potential, increasing women’s representation in politics and leadership, persisting and emerging issues for women’s good health and the gendered impacts of climate change.
Tuesday August 8
8:30 – 9:00 am / Registration9:00 – 10:30 am / Introduction of delegations Ms. Marilyn Lakabung,Manager, Gender Development, Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Welcome remarks
Honorable Ladie Jack,Mayor, Majuro Atoll Local Government
Remarks
Video: Mr. Andrew Jacobs, Ambassador to the Marshall Islands and the Pacific, European Union
Ms. Eliza Woolcock, Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, FSM
Opening address
Her Excellency, Dr. Hilda C. Heine,President, Republic of the Marshall Islands
10:30 am / Group photo
10:40 am / Refreshment break: Sponsored Ministry of by Health & Human Services
11:00 – 11.10 am / Program overview and background
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
11:10 – 12:30 pm / Country Updates:Each country will present their country statements in relation to the theme and topics of the conference (1. FSM, 2. Kiribati, 3. Nauru, 4. Palau, 5.CNMI, 6. Guam, 7. Marshall Islands)
Moderator:Ms.Kino Kabua, Deputy Chief Secretary and Secretariat for Micronesian Women’s Conference
Video: Honorable ConcettaFierravanti-Wells,Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Australia
12:30 – 2:00 pm / Lunch break: Sponsored Ministry of by Health & Human Services
2:00 – 3:30 pm / Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
This session will explore strategies to eliminate violence against women, increase women in all levels of the justice sector; improve access to justice for survivors of genderbased violence.
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Moderator: Ms. April I. Manibusan, Senior Planner, Bureau of Statistics and Plans, Guam
Presenter:Ms. Lorna MoseseRolls, Assistant Representative, UNFPA
Panelists / Ms. Anne Kautu, Principal Women’s Development Officer, Kiribati / Hon. Charmaine Scotty, Minister for Home Affairs, Nauru / Sen. JerrlynUduch Senior,
Senator, House of Senate, OEK / Ms. Kathryn Relang, Executive Director, WUTMI, Marshall Islands
Overview of the Kiribati program to eliminate violence, achievements and challenges. / The Nauru service delivery model for survivors of violence, achievements and challenges. / Implementing the Family Protection Act, challenges and lessons learnt. / Chronicling Weto in Mour (A Place of Life): Violence Against Women and Girls Support Service.
Country response and discussion period
3:30 – 3:45 pm / Refreshment break: Sponsored Ministry of by Health & Human Services
3:45 – 5:15 pm / Realizing Women's Economic Empowerment
This session will support a reflection on how to realize the economic empowerment of women through access to safe and equitable employment opportunities.
Chair:Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Moderator: Ms.Ellen Milne-Paul, Asian Development Bank, Marshall Islands
Video: Dr. Vijaya Nagarajan,Associate Professor, Macquarie Law School, Australia
Video: Dr. Caren Grown, Senior Director for Gender,World Bank Group, USA
Presenter: Ms. Linda Petersen, Team Leader,Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Support Unit, Fiji
Panelists / Ms Jaqueline Lakmis, Majuro Campus, University of the South Pacific, Marshall Islands / Ms. Christina Stinnett, President, Chuuk Women’s Council, FSM / Ms. Marie Milne, Owner, Mwen Rita Store, Marshall Islands
The jaki-ed revival program exhibitions and weaving courses. / The Young Women Empowerment Program educating young women and developing their skills to generate incoming usinglocal ingredients and traditional arts. / Herstory of how to overcome the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
Country response and discussion period
5:30 – 7:30 pm / Welcome Reception
Reception hosted by Honorable Minister Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs
Venue: USP Conference Center
Wednesday August 9
8:30 – 8:45 am / Herstory:Summary of matters arising for the Micronesian Women’s Conference Declarationand Outcomes Statement from Day 1.Presenter: Conference Drafting Committee
8:45 – 10:30 am / Empowerment of Women in Politics and Decision-Making
This session will explore ways to ensure the political empowerment of women reflecting on options including constitutional provisions, such as parliamentary and executive branch quotas, that guarantee women's participant in all branches and at all level so government; skill building and leadership training for women.
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Moderator: Joy Heine,Director of Women's Affairs Ministry for Home Affairs, Nauru
Video: Dr. John Cox,Research Fellow, Planning and Research Management, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
Presentation:Mr.Dyfan Jones,Team Leader for Effective Governance, UNDP Pacific Office, Fiji
Panelists / Sen. Daisy Alik-Momotaro, Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands / Sen. Gardenia Aisek, Chuuk State Legislature, FSM / Sen. JerrlynUduchSengebauSenior, Senate, Palau
Herstory from community worker to Permanent Secretary, to Senator. / Campaign strategies for women NienAroor (leaders) for a voice and place in politics and political decision-making. / Implementing the Family Protection Act, challenges and lessons learnt.
Country response and discussion period
10:30 – 10.45 am / Refreshment break: Sponsored by the Marshall Islands Organic Farmers Association
10:45 – 12.30 pm / Addressing Effects of Climate Change on Women
This session will identify the collective effort required to minimize the impacts of climate change on the many roles of women, including their human rights and ways to include a gender lens in monitoring and evaluation of measures and initiatives to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Moderator: Ms. Angela Saunders,Program Officer/HSO,International Organization for Migration, Marshall Islands
Presenter: Ms. Noelene Nabulivou, Pacific Partnership on Gender, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Fiji
Panelists / H.E. KourabiNenem, Vice President and Minister of Women, Youth and Social Affairs, Kiribati / Ms. Natalie Isaacs, Founder and CEO,
1 Million Women, Australia / Ms. Jennifer deBrum, JNAP Coordinator for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, NDMO, Marshall Islands
Increasing climate change resilience through poverty alleviation strategies and access to safe water and sanitation. / Women at the front line of the transition to a zero carbon world. / RMI PDNA of 2015-2016 drought and creating a safe space for women to voice their needs and the needs of their families: Cookhouse Confidential.
Country response and discussion period
12:30 – 2:00 pm / Lunch break:Sponsored by Mejdrik Club at Marshall Islands Resort
2:00 – 3:30 pm / Improving Women's Access to Health Services
Women’s health outcomes are the result of a range of factors including environmental, biological and socio-economic determinants. There are persistent gender differences with the prevalence of both non-communicable and communicable diseases and this session will explore opportunities to improve women’s health.
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Moderator: Ms. Norleen Oliver,National Gender Development Officer, Department of Health and Social Affairs, National Government, FSM
Presenter: Dr. Nia Aitaoto, Co-Director for the Center for Pacific Islander Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA
Panelists / Mrs. Magdalena A. Walter, Secretary, Department of Health and Social Affairs, FSM / Dr. AinaGarstang,Family Practitioner, Ministry of Health, Marshall Islands / Ms. Eleanor Setik, Chief, Public Health,Chuuk State, FSM / Mrs. FrancyneWase-Jacklick, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Health, Marshall Islands
Strategies and interventions to reduce the teenage fertility rate. / Addressing cervical and breast cancer in the outer islands. / Women’s health issues, personal well-being, sex education, and empowerment of young women. / Accelerating outer islands health situational awareness through health informational exchanges.
Country response and discussion period
3:30 – 3:45 pm / Refreshment break: Sponsored by Leroij ro (Female traditional Leaders)
3:45 – 4:00 pm / Video: Sisters of the Pacific Ocean
4:00 – 5:00 pm / Partner Presentation: The Pacific Platform for Action (Pacific Community)
The Pacific Community is the custodian of the regional strategy for gender equality: the Pacific Platform for Action (PPA). SPC will provide an overview of the PPA review and what the latest version of the PPA focuses on. Delegationswill be invited to provide constructive feedback on the strategic objectives of the PPA 2017-2027.
Presenter: Ms. Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, Director, Social Development Programme (Gender, Culture & Youth), Pacific Community, Fiji
Country response and discussion period
Thursday August 10
8:30 – 9:00 am / Herstory: Summary of matters arising for the Micronesian Women’s Conference Declaration and Outcomes Statement from Day 2.Presenter: Conference Drafting Committee
9:00 – 10.00 am / Panel Discussion: Connecting MWC with the United Nations in New York
The Ambassadors to the United Nations in New York will speak about how they can assist to promote the Micronesia position on gender equality in global negotiations processes, sponsored resolutions and within committees, groupings and strategic alliances (such as the Pacific Small Islands Developing States grouping) and in UN positions like theVice President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Video: Ms. FekitamoeloaKatoa ‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, United Nations
Panelists / H.E. AmatlainE. Kabua, Permanent Representative of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations / H.E.Marlene I. Moses, Permanent Representative of Nauru to the United Nations / H.E. Jane J. Chigiyal,Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations
10:00 – 10:30 am / Partner Presentation: The Micronesian Youth Services Network Declaration
The annual meeting of the Micronesian Youth Services Network (MYSN) convened in Majuro in the last week of July. This session provides an overview of MYSN.
Presenter: Ms. Milan Loeak, Board Member, MYSN
10:30 – 11.00 am / Refreshment break: Sponsored by MWC Organizing Committee
11:00 – 1:00 pm / Presentation of the draft Micronesian Women’s Conference Declaration and the Recommendations for the Micronesian Women’s Conference Outcomes report
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Presenter:Nominated by the Conference Drafting Committee
Participants will revise theMicronesian Women’s Conference Declaration. Participants will revise the recommendations for the Micronesian Women’s Conference outcomes report, mindful that the draft report will be distributed to countries for revision.
1:00 – 2:30 pm / Lunch break: Sponsored by MWC Organizing Committee
2:30 – 2:45 pm / Civil Society Organization Statement
CSOs deliver their collective statement in relation to the session themes of the conference.
2:45 – 3:00 pm / Micronesian Women’s Conference 2020
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Nominations and vote to host the Micronesian Women’s Conference in 2020.
3:00 – 3:15 pm / Refreshment break: Sponsored by MWC Organizing Committee
3:15 – 4:15 pm / Adoption of the Micronesian Women’s Conference Declaration and Recommendations for the Micronesian Women’s Conference Outcomes report
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
Presenter:Nominated by the Conference Drafting Committee
4:15 – 5:00 pm / Open floor and closing remarks of the Micronesian Women’s Conference
This session will provide an opportunity for any final thoughts or observations from the floor; followed by closing remarks by the Marshall Islands.
Chair: Hon. Amenta Matthew, Minister of Culture and Internal Affairs, Marshall Islands
7:00 pm / Closing Dinner Reception
Dinner hosted by Her Excellency Dr. Hilda C. Heine
Venue: Marshall Islands, Resort Poolside