Meeting the protection needs of vulnerable women has always been foremost for the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).
A total of 1000 vulnerable women of Rewa and Serua were assisted with dignity kits as part of the AHP COVID-19 Activation Phase 2 Response to meet their protection needs and maintain their dignity during the pandemic.
Implemented by Live and Learn Environmental Education Fiji (LLEE), the dignity kits contain hygiene and sanitary items, as well as other items explicitly tailored towards the local needs of women and girls of reproductive age in particular communities.
The COVID-19 crisis brought about many challenges as the confinement prevented them from accessing basic necessities.
A 69-year-old woman of Burebasaga, Rewa is grateful for the assistance.
Viniana Tubulia said the assistance was timely as it was given during the second wave of the pandemic.
With the work of the main breadwinner of the family affected due to the pandemic, Ms Tubulia said some of the items helped them to meet their hygiene needs.
The generic hygiene kits help people improve cleanliness.
“E dredre na bula i nakoro kei na rawa i lavo me vukea neimami bula ni vuvale. Au vakavinavinaka ena veivuke e yaco mai ni rawa ni mai veivuke vei keitou me vaka ni a tabu tu na veitosoyaki ka vakaleqai tu na cakacaka. Na sovu e mai sava saraga kina na neitou i sulu,” she said. (Life in the village is hard and we do not have a source of income after my son was laid off work. The kits arrived at the right time and we used the soap for our laundry as it was even hard to support our livelihood during the pandemic).
While dignity kits are similar to basic hygiene kits often distributed at the onset of emergencies, dignity kits serve a broader purpose and so contain a wider range of items.
Dignity kits help women and girls maintain their dignity during humanitarian crises.
The kit contains a bucket with lid, sanitary pads, reusable sanitary napkins, panties, bathing soap, washing soap, solar light and COVID-19 messaging.
Also included were the gender based violence leaflets.
A key item in the dignity kit distributed was the reusable sanitary pads.
Ms Tubulia said she shared the reusable pads with her two sisters who are single mothers.
Miriama Cawaki of Saroa in Serua said the sanitary pads and reusable sanitary napkins were now being used by her granddaughters.
She commended AHP and LLEE for this great idea saying that it suits village life.
Dignity kits focus on promoting mobility and safety of women and girls by providing age, gender, and culturally appropriate garments and other items in addition to sanitary supplies and basic hygiene items.
They are designed in partnership with affected communities to ensure the most appropriate items are included, and distribution is carried out in a manner that minimises the risk of GBV against women and girl and help them by:
• Contributing to the psychosocial and physical wellbeing of women and girls, by including items such as intimate wash and pads,
• Improving mobility of women and girls by providing specific sanitary items. In some contexts, mobility can also be enhanced by including items such as headscarves or abayas, without which women cannot be seen in public,
• Allowing budget substitution for families to purchase other important items, such as food, Contributing to the protection of women and girls, by including items such as solar lights, so that women and girls do not have to walk in the dark and can call for help,
• Providing information about hygiene, reproductive health, GBV related issues, and services though the inclusion of health and protection information.
* Losalini Bolatagici is the Communications Officer for ADRA Fiji and writes in her capacity as AHP communications technical support officer under AHP centralised communication (shared services). The views expressed are her own and not of this newspaper.
