Equality for women still a long way off
A recent report suggests government needs to get a move on

Government needs to make a greater effort if there is to be any significant progress in regard to the matter of gender equality and ensuring women have equal opportunity to contribute to the advancement of society.
A review carried out in November 2009 highlighted several areas of concern and has resulted in a number of recommendations for government to consider as to the proactive actions that should be taken to advance the goal of gender equality.
The recent report on this review by the Policy Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister is in effect a stocktake on actions to date to enhance gender equality.
As a matter of interest, our track record shows that by regional standards Cook Islands women score highly on the gender development index and gender empowerment measure. Priorities and objectives for achieving gender equality in the Cook Islands were specifically set out in the 1995 Cook Islands National Policy on Women, the National Plan of Action to implement the policy, 2001 Cook Islands National Report on Implementation of Pacific Platform for Action and the 2006 Cook Islands Country Report on CEDAW to the United Nations, which have often been developed in partnership with the Government, the Cook Islands National Council of Women (CINCW) and other NGO stakeholders.
The Cook Islands’ National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) (2007-2010) was reviewed during the November 2009 gender review. In the NSDP gender is addressed mainly in the social section referring to women’s development rather than being addressed throughout the document. The Gender section does indicate the government’s intention to integrate gender equality policies into its sectoral strategies.
The November report highlights the lack of resources and the need to build capacity if gender equality mechanisms are to be installed in Government agencies and the mainstreaming of gender policies is to be strengthened.
According to the report, the current organisation culture is not conducive to gender mainstreaming. To mainstream gender into the policies, programmes, projects and activities of government will require: capacity development, targeting central agencies and selected line ministries, in gender analysis and gender budgeting with the objective of developing gender sensitive development policies and programs. In addition, institutional strengthening for the Gender and Development Division (GADD) focusing on structure and systems to facilitate GADD’s role in policy advice, formulation and monitoring will be necessary. A Gender Awareness Strategy designed and implemented to target National and Outer Islands policy makers, community leaders in CSOs and women’s NGOs will also support the capacity and institutional strengthening activities.
The report highlights the key findings as;
-gender mainstreaming as a strategy to integrate gender into all aspects of planning, programmes, projects and activities of government is still far from being realised. A number of gender equality commitments have been made at the international, regional and national levels. At the national level there are efforts to review and develop legislations from a gender perspective although the national and sectoral policies are yet to be gender inclusive.
-Current organisation culture is not supportive of gender mainstreaming. Gender mainstreaming in line ministries is driven by donors or implemented by GADD with little ownership by the executing ministries.
-Central agencies and line ministries lack the political mandate to integrate gender analysis principles into policy development and processes. Gender policy issues are acknowledged as important, however integrating gender principles in planning and policy has been hampered by the diversion of development planners versed in this activity into urgent macro-policy matters. Currently no formal system of gender focal points exists.
-Development partners through an increased coordinated approach towards gender mainstreaming have provided consistent presence and support to this activity in the Cook Islands.
According to the report, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its Gender and Development Division lacks the capacity to integrate gender analysis principles into government policy development and processes. GADD leadership recognizes the strategic impact of focusing on integrating gender into the work of line ministries and has identified the review of laws and the development and endorsement of a national gender policy, as priority focus in its work programme.
The report recommends taking on extra staff to assist in promoting the mainstreaming of gender throughout the whole of government to support the upgrading of policy and planning effort.