Certain gender issues cut across many Pacific Island countries. These include low levels of women’s political representation; poor working conditions; violence against women; increased risk of HIV/AIDS and STIs; declining access to customary land rights and low levels of legal literacy about rights to land and property; and culturally-enforced discrimination and inequality of women. Much of the literature highlights that gender roles in the region continue to undergo considerable change – as a result of historical processes of colonisation and more recently, the emergence of the market economy and the accompanying forces of globalisation.
It is important to note however that gender issues vary between Pacific Island countries according to their levels of economic development; social and cultural norms; levels of population, migration and emigration; and political climate. Most commentators highlight that while many Pacific Island countries have committed internationally and regionally to promoting gender equality, considerable disparities remain between them in terms of the extent to which governments have adopted complementary national policies.
