18th February 2021 Women and children in Tonga will soon be able to access a more coordinated and strengthened gender-based violence services referral pathway, which will not only be survivor-centred but will also ensure continuity of care each step of the way.
The next two days will be the finalisation of the Tonga National Multisectoral Service Delivery Protocol in Responding to Cases of Gender-Based Violence, as stakeholders from Government and Civil Society Organisations come together to validate the Kingdom’s first ever national protocol that coordinates multisectoral responses to gender-based violence.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs recognised the need to improve and strengthen the delivery of services by Government and NGO service providers for domestic violence victims and survivors in light of the increasing rates of violence across the country. Thus, the development of the Protocol [started] with the primary purpose to define and establish minimum standards and coordination pathways for interagency responses to gender-based violence,” said Dr Fotu Fisi’iahi, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Internal Affairs’ (MIA)who is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Family Protection Act 2013 and is the Chair of the Family Protection Advisory Council, with the Women’s Affairs and Gender Equality Division (WAGED) providing the Secretariat.
The development of the Protocol is led by MIA with funding from the Families Free of Violence programme, and technical support from UN Women through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) programme. UN Women works with partners to promote gender equitable social norms at individual and community levels to prevent violence against women and girls. The Pacific Partnership is funded primarily by the European Union, and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women, and is led by the Pacific Community (SPC), UN Women and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
The Protocol articulates Tonga’s efforts to build a system that is aligned to an agreed set of procedures and minimum standards to ensure a survivor-centred approach, continuity of care across the preparedness-emergency-recovery continuum and more positive outcomes for survivors, their families, and the communities of Tonga.
The development process included numerous consultations and validation workshops with Government and CSOs across Tongatapu, ‘Eua, Ha’apai and Vava’u, including a review of previous MIA work in Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou on gender-based violence, as well as national policies, legislation and reports on gender-based violence in Tonga.
Key next steps include:
- Seeking Cabinet endorsement and planned Launch of the Protocol on International Women’s Day 2021
- Roll-out of national training of trainers on the implementation of the Protocol
Media enquiries should be directed to:
Ms A.Polotu Fakafanua-Paunga, Deputy CEO , Womens Affairs and Gender Equality Divison, Ministry of Internal Affairs: polotu18@gmail.com
For information on UN Women’s support on the Tonga National Multisectoral Service Delivery Protocol in Responding to Cases of Gender-Based Violence, and the Pacific Partnership programme , contact: Tupou’ahau Fakakovi tupouahau.fakakovi@unwomen.org
Background on Pacific Partnership
The Pacific region has some of the highest rates of violence against women recorded in the world – twice the global average with an estimated two in every three Pacific women impacted by gender-based violence. Along with high rates of violence – a grave human rights violation – women and girls in the Pacific region experience constant and continual inequalities including low levels of participation in decision-making, limited economic opportunities, and restricted access to critical services and rights.
The Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) brings together governments, civil society organisations, communities and other partners to promote gender equality, prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG), and increase access to quality response services for survivors.
The EUR26.0 million programme is funded primarily by the European Union (EUR12.7m) with targeted support from the Governments of Australia (EUR9.5m) and New Zealand (EUR3.2m) and cost-sharing with UN Women (EUR0.6m) and is led by the Pacific Community (SPC), UN Women and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
ENDS
Issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs