Growing inclusive and sustainable Pacific livelihoods and economies

PHAMA Plus supports economic growth and improved rural livelihoods for the people of ten Pacific countries, (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu), by being commercially focused, export-oriented, sustainable and inclusive. We do this by ensuring that PHAMA Plus investments are inclusive and benefit women, men, people with disabilities (PWD), youth, and people living in remote communities (RC) as articulated in the Program’s Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Strategy.

The PHAMA Plus GEDSI Strategy – in a coconut shell

Our Strategy has three core objectives:

• Women, PWD, youth, and RC participate, and benefit from, program investments.
• PHAMA Plus contributes to the business case for GEDSI and promotes awareness and capacity to address GEDSI with our key partners.
• PHAMA Plus contributes to the development priorities and goals of Australia, New Zealand, and each of our partner countries related to GEDSI, including women’s economic empowerment.

Pacific market systems are not equal. Men, women, PWD, youth, and RC experience market systems differently, and often perform pre-determined roles that reflect existing socio-cultural norms and values. There is an opportunity to nudge these practices forward through the introduction of new business models and approaches to create more inclusive market systems – a win-win outcome – with marginalised groups having the opportunity for empowerment, and businesses gaining access to a bigger pool of resources with a more diverse set of skills and experiences.

PHAMA Plus adopts a twin-track approach to GEDSI – whereby we mainstream GEDSI through deliberate consideration in all aspects of our work, including activity and partnership planning, program operations, governance, communications, monitoring and results management. We also develop targeted interventions that are specifically designed to address persistent challenges and barriers holding women, PWD, youth, and RC back from fully participating in agricultural value chains.

DOWNLOAD OVERVIEW SHEET HERE: PHAMA Plus GEDSI  Strategy Summary

If you would like know more about our GEDSI work, contact PHAMA Plus Program Manager GEDSI Kassandra Betham on k.betham@phamaplus.com.au.