Women's Empowerment and Good Governance Through - amarc

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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.
87 Best Experiences for an Action Research Process Women’s voices to transform a nation This year, our community radio campaign, “My Life, My Issues, My Peace” has given rural women an opportunity to remind society of the issues that affect their lives; and gives them a chance to discuss their experiences, and express their perception of life in rural areas. In addition, initiatives like ‘Generation Next’ (the young women’s community radio project in the capital city) is proving to be an inspiring advocacy tool for young women of different ethnicities and backgrounds to engage amongst themselves and their communities, while also becoming an important tool to train future advocates and leaders on women’s issues. These initial “post-coup” broadcasts are also paving the way for women in our target local communities to prepare to participate in the broader issues of conflict transformation and political reconstruction. Subsequently, the implementation of UNSC RES/1325 within the context of community radio is more than just about the struggle for the realization of women’s human rights. Peace is seen as: a freedom from violence; access to safe housing; employment and education; equality in the eyes of the law and society; the right to property ownership; and a return to normalcy. In our range of efforts, we are bringing the voices of the marginalized and unrepresented into the political arena. We are advocating and demonstration strategies for inclusion, equality, freedom and plurality, focusing on a holistic notion of peace, defined not just in military security and political terms but also in terms of human security, rooted in a combination of political, economic, personal, community and environmental factors. Coupled with our work as the regional hub for a Women’s Media Network on UNSC RES/1325, we are working with counterparts in PNG/Bougainville, Solomon Islands and Tonga to use women’s information/communication sources and media to provide vital anecdotal evidence, including early warning indicators of conflict. We seek to inform and assist, amongst others, the annual Forum Regional Security Committee process in the lead up to the annual Pacific Forum Leaders meeting. We will also continue to provide women’s media coverage of this and other pivotal events, including the coverage of national elections in the Pacific region countries and being responsive to any emerging situations. We have developed a series of program activities. They include the production of media ini-
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