By Design: Australia’s Role in Supporting Women’s Political Leadership in the Pacific

Abstract

In 2023, when asked to reflect on the number and role of women leaders in the Pacific, then Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa noted ‘Australia has been a leading donor on gender equality in the Pacific a lot of resourcing has gone into this, both fiscal and human resources, technological resources. The question being posed is, why is there not enough change?’ Prime Minister Fiamē’s response questions not only the desired outcome (presumably, more women in leadership), but the process (Australia’s support for women’s increased political participation in the region). In this chapter, I compare two programs funded by the Australian Government that I have been involved with over the past 10 years: the Pacific Women's Parliamentary Partnerships, implemented by officers of the Australian Parliament, and the Balance of Power program, implemented by Pacific Islanders across three countries, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu. I argue that Australia’s motivations for supporting women’s increased political representation in the Pacific have an impact on the types of programs it designs and funds. Good (gender equality) designs must articulate a development problem that is accepted in local contexts and addressed by local actors defining their own, contextualised program strategies.