Jocelyn Naupa Explained

Jocelyn Naupa is a Ni-Vanuatu advocate for gender equality and women affairs in Vanuatu.

Advocacy for Women

In 2001 Naupa was elected to become a representative for the women in south Santo area. In 2005, she and other women from her area set up an association which was a committee based on violence against women, in which they would help give counselling to females who were victims of violence or discrimination. In 2010, she was elected by all the women representatives around Sanma, during a conference, to become the chair-lady of the overall women in Sanma province. She would negotiate with NGOS and various organizations[1] to run training to do with CEDAW,[2] good governance, trans piracy and accountability taught to the representative who would then go back and teach women in their own community.[3] From 2011-2012 she was re-elected again to be as a chair-lady again and work at that position up to 2013. During this time she served three roles, not only was she a chair-lady she was also a representative in the provincial government and she was working under Vanuatu women center as a counselor for violence against women.

As a women's representative in the provincial government she would voice women’s thoughts for development and needs during the provincial councilors meeting.[4] In the end of 2013 she resigned as the Sanma women’s chair-lady and woman representative in provincial government, because her husband was transferred to work in Erromango, his home island. However, this did not stop her from promoting women‘s matter as she set up a woman and disability council in Erromango. Various NGOs, such as Care international[5] aided these councils by providing training's and awareness to the people.[6] The following year (2014) she volunteered to take part in Care international’s climate change program. As a volunteer she was appointed to be the deputy CDC coordinator to where she shared some of her experiences, spread awareness about climate change[7] and distributed food and water.[8] In 2016, she joined Care international’s women and goal program and gender based violence program[9] and visited Aniwa, Tanna and Erromango to carry out training to increase awareness.

Awards

On 7 March 2017 the Australian high commission awarded her with the International Women’s Day Hanson Mataskelekele and Andy Lynch awards for Excellence in Leadership and Excellence in the Community Sector respectively.[10] [11]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sectors . 2024-06-21 . Commonwealth of Nations . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2009-05-22 . Vanuatu province the first to adopt CEDAW . 2024-06-21 . RNZ . en-nz.
  3. Web site: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Capwip. 22 March 2017.
  4. Web site: List of issues and questions in relation to the combined fourth and fifth periodic reports of Vanuatu. 22 March 2017.
  5. Web site: CARE's humanitarian work inVanuatu . 2024-06-21 . CARE . en.
  6. Web site: Vanuatu case study in women's economic empowerment. Care International. 22 March 2017.
  7. Web site: Vanuatu Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy. 2016 -2030 National Advisory Board . 2024-06-21 . www.nab.vu.
  8. News: Tari. Royson. Care workshop empowering TAFEA Community Disaster and Climate Change Committees. 22 March 2017. Vanuatu Daily Post. Vanuatu Daily Post. 21 June 2014.
  9. Web site: 2012-09-08 . Vanuatu: Gender and gender based violence in humanitarian action workshop for the International Day for Disaster Reduction PreventionWeb . 2024-06-21 . www.preventionweb.net . en.
  10. News: Exceptional women recognized on International Women's Day. 22 March 2017. Vanuatu Daily post. 9 March 2017.
  11. Web site: http://ww25.islandlifemag.com/latest-news-pacific/australian-high-commission-recognises-exceptional-women-international-womens-day/?subid1=20240621-1709-57f7-9086-bfac1b11be11 . 2024-06-21 . ww25.islandlifemag.com.