Cook Islands National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment & Strategic Plan of Action (2011 – 2016).

The present Policy explains and outlines the different governmental strategies and actions undertaken in order to empower women and improve gender equality in the Cook Islands. The Policy is also a tool for dialogue with and between different sectors and agencies to achieve the following objectives: 1) Define agreed priorities for empowering women and achieving gender equality; 2) Create an enabling environment for translating Government commitment to gender equality and women’s human rights into reality; 3) Align national plans to implement Government’s international and regional commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment; 4) Define a mechanism for monitoring and reporting on the progress in line with the Cook Islands commitment to regional and international state obligations.
The goal of the Policy is to advance gender equality and enhance women’s empowerment ensuring the active contribution and meaningful participation of both Cook Islands women and men in all spheres, and at all levels, of development and decision making. In order to achieve these goals the Policy proposes six outcomes as listed in Part VII: 1) Gender-responsive Government’s programmes and policies; 2) Equitable participation of women and men in decision-making and governance systems; 3) Enabling environment for the full participation of women in economic development; 4) Improved capacity of women to contribute to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies; 5) Improved capacity of women to address health issues; 6) Elimination of violence against women.
Part 8 contains the Policy Strategy Plan of Action proposing a series of outputs and key actions in order to achieve the outcomes of the National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Outcome 3 focuses on women’s participation in economic development, such as increase women’s contribution and benefit from the tourism industry; support women’s investments in the productive sectors of fisheries and agriculture. Outcome 4 concentrates on gender and climate change and disaster risk managements suggesting the following key actions: 1) Identify differential vulnerability of women to climate change and disasters; 2) Build the capacity of women to respond to the impact of climate change and disasters; 3) Ensure the integration of gender concerns in climate change adaptation and disasters risk reduction plans; 4) Develop gender responsive natural resources management policies and programmes; 5) Ensure the allowance of proper resources to address women’s needs and build their capacity to adapt to climate change and disaster risk reduction from the climate change financial resources and other external funding sources; 6) Network with regional and international organizations promoting gender mainstreaming in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies to voice the concerns of Cook Islands women.
The text consists of 10 Chapters as follows: Introduction (I); Policy Operating Principles (II); Policy Objectives (III); Policy Vision (IV); Policy Mission (V); Policy Goal (VI); Policy Priority Outcomes (VII); Policy Strategy Plan of Action 2011-2016 (VIII); Implementation (IX); Monitoring and Reporting (X). Three Annexes are enclosed.