HIGHLIGHTS
- Fiji’s Ministry of Health leadership need to improve gender and social inclusivity.
- Abt developed a sustainable training program.
- Fiji will meet its national and international commitments to gender equity.
The Challenge
Senior and middle-management within Fiji’s Ministry of Health needed the knowledge and skills to incorporate gender and social inclusion into their roles and work. A gender equality and social inclusion assessment conducted by Abt highlighted gaps in the knowledge and skills of Fiji’s Ministry of Health. At the time of the assessment, there were no training programs in Fiji that were designed specifically to address these issues in the health sector.
The Approach
Abt developed a training package in partnership with Fiji Health Policy and Planning Unit and Queensland University of Technology to improve Ministry leadership’s awareness of gender and inclusivity issues. An iterative approach was taken to develop training content and a delivery approach that was sustainable and appropriate. Once launched, the training was initially targeted to Ministry senior leaders and then broadened to encompass middle managers.
The Results
Abt developed gender mainstreaming and social inclusion manuals—including manuals for participants and facilitators—enabling Fiji to sustain the program with support from a local training provider.
The training package was a first for the Ministry and introduced concepts of gender and social inclusion, outlined barriers to gender equality and participation, and described tools for gender and social inclusion analysis and approaches to participatory monitoring and evaluation.
While the training helped the Ministry meet its international commitments and its obligations to the Fijian legislation, it also created momentum, resulting in funding for additional practical tools, including guidelines for the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace and a women’s leadership development program.