Gender & Development Committee

As a member of the Gender & Development (GAD) Committee of Peace Corps Vanuatu, we have undertaken many intitiatives in reaching our objectives to gender equality here in Vanuatu.

Peace Corps Vanuatu's GAD committee began in September 2001year as WID-GAD (Women In Development - Gender and Development).

In February 2008, the committee officially changed the name to GAD to encourage understanding of our true goals and encourage more male participation. Our mission statement is as follows: To promote positive change through training of Peace Corps staff and volunteers to integrate a gender-sensitive approach to all development work. The committee also added the following goals to better focus the committee:
· To train trainees, volunteers, and staff on GAD principles (see flip side)
· To offer continued support, resources, and training to volunteers throughout their year service, through PST, IST, and All-Vol sessions
· To publish "GAD-FLY" newsletter to keep Peace Corps Vanuatu abreast of current events, resources, and to provide practical tools.
· To carry out special GAD initiatives throughout the year, such as Youth camps, training of trainers workshops, working with other NGOs on gender specific objectives throughout Vanuatu

Our last big Training of Trainers Youth leader camp took place in the Penama Province of Vanuat, with 32 Ni-vanuatu Youth leader participants, for 1 week long training workshop on: leadership, adolescent reproductive health, domestic violence, STD's/AIDS, nutrition, hygiene & sanitation, environment, goal setting, healthy relationships, etc. We also do arts and crafts after each days session to encourage creativity and to have fun! This camp was a huge success, the country director of Peace Corps Vanuatu came to the closing ceremony as we handed our certificates and conducted a custom dance in appreciation to the Vanuatu culture and people. The total cost for the workshop was about 300,000 vatu or $3,000USD. We had 16 Peace Corps volunteers help conduct the workshop and speakers from the Ministry of Health give talks.

Being on the GAD committee has been an amazing experience for me, the ability to work with other volunteers and Peace Corps in making positive gender sensitive initiatives while carrying out my regular service duties. I've started 2010 off with a camp G.L.O.W on Epi island with 4 other volunteers and 21 participants. In March we plan to conduct another camp G.L.O.W. on my island, Paama.