Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (‘Pacific Women’) is a 10-year, AU$ 320 million programme working in 14 member countries of the Pacific Island Forum. The programme operates through strategic partnerships and funding relationships that aim to improve the political, social and economic opportunities for women. The outcomes sought by Pacific Women include:
- Women, and women’s interests, are increasingly and effectively represented and visible through leadership at all levels of decision-making. (‘Women’s Leadership and Decision Making’ – WLDM)
- Women have expanded economic opportunities to earn an income and accumulate economic assets. (‘Women’s Economic Empowerment’ – WEE)
- Violence against women is reduced and survivors of violence have access to support services and to justice. (‘Ending Violence Against Women’ – EVAW)
- Women in the Pacific will have a stronger sense of their own agency, supported by a changing legal and social environment and through increased access to the services they need. (‘Enhancing Agency’ – EA)
This evaluation has taken place after approximately 4 years of implementation. It is a formative evaluation that aims to undertake an independent assessment of whether Pacific Women has achieved its first interim objective and to establish the extent to which the programme is tracking toward achieving its intended outcomes.
The evaluation assesses:
- the extent to which capacity, resources, relationships and understanding for action have been established across the programme
- it’s relevance to the Australian Government and partner priorities and to the context and needs of beneficiaries
- the effectiveness and efficiency of the programme.
It also identifies challenges to progress in the four intended outcome areas.
