Pacific Women Lead
Pacific Women Lead is a five-year (2021–2026) regional program enabling Australia and the Pacific to work in partnership to strengthen regional gender equality efforts, building on a long history of engagement in this area. The new Pacific Women Lead program is one of the largest global commitments to gender equality.
It builds on the almost 10-year long-term Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) program, which connected more than 170 gender equality initiatives supported by Australia and implemented by over 160 partners across 14 Pacific Island countries.
Pacific Women Lead is working to achieve three end of program outcomes:
- Women’s leadership promoted
- Women’s rights realised
- Pacific regional partners increase the effectiveness of regional gender equality efforts.
Gender equality continues to be a shared priority for Pacific Island countries and Australia. As suggested by the name of the program, Pacific women will lead the program, define the problems and create locally-led solutions. Pacific Island people will drive strategy through a Governance Board with a strong and diverse membership from across the region, at least two thirds of whom will be Pacific women.