Women-friendly spaces welcomed in Fiji
In response to Cyclone Winston, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported eight women-friendly spaces to be established in hard-hit areas.
The women friendly spaces are supported by Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Empower Pacific and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.
A women friendly space was set up in Savusavu. It was at this space where 60-year-old retired Phyllis Hazelman became a community facilitator.
Recruited by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation; community facilitators are women from the local community who have experience working with the community.
The facilitators took part in a three-day orientation on gender and gender-based violence, referral mechanisms and their roles.
Ms Hazelman said:
“It was wonderful to be part of a project that allowed us to sit down with women who started sharing their experiences with us once they got comfortable, expressing how they felt about these things and when we had to, we knew the referral system.”
