Women's Empowerment and Good Governance Through - amarc

Best Experiences for an Action Research Process 86
tion and attempt to offer political commentary to the mainstream media. This is sad proof
of women’s continued marginalization from mainstream political debate and formal decisionmaking
spheres.
By working in partnership with NGOs, the government and regional partners who are also
working with grassroots women, femLINKpacific was able to transform the radio broadcast
content into policy advocacy statements to show how media can be used to assist in the advancement
of gender equality.
Since November 2000, UNSC RES/1325 has become a tool for empowering us to engage at
the policy level. It is a critical platform for mobilizing on local, regional, national and international
levels. It has provided the impetus to advocate and further define what peace means to
us. The international law, is a base to which we can hold our political and traditional leaders
accountable in lobbying for the participation of and leadership by women in the process of
conflict resolution.
However, it is also important to note that since the events of December 5, 2006 in Fiji, fem-
LINKpacific has also had to respond to the changes caused by the military coup in the target
communities we work in, in managing the volunteers at our community media centre as well
as in networking and relationships with other partners. Subsequently, our rural network of local
partners as well as rural correspondents have become a critical source of information to assist
us in formulating practical policy responses to the ongoing and emerging social, political and
economic developments.
It has also been critical to ensure that during the first six months of 2007 our media initiatives
served as a voice for women who remain marginalized and isolated from decision making
as well as information/communication forums, including those in the mainstream media. Our
media forms include monthly e-news bulletins, media and policy advocacy alerts as well as the
production and dissemination of media reports and productions. These prodcutions are distributed
to the mainstream media, CSO/NGO partners as well as policy level and development
partners. And we have recognized that our role as a woman’s media organisation is not just
to strengthen women’s capacity to speak out but to ensure that these voices are transformed
into policy language to influence key policy makers and national leaders.