Micronesian Women’s Summit Concludes In Palau – Inaugural event included traditional, contemporary leaders
05th August, 2012
Micronesian Women’s Conference August 2012 (PHOTO OTV)
KOROR, Palau (Island Times, August 3, 2012) – The inaugural Micronesian Regional Women’s Summit is concluding today at Ngarachamayong Cultural Center. Various issues were discussed in the summit including sustainable economy and poverty, climate change (knowledge of traditional mitigation), non-communicable diseases, reproductive health, people with disability, suicide prevention, politics, good governance, entrepreneurship, justice literacy, intellectual property, cultural mapping, violence against women and human trafficking.
The summit, hosted by the Mechesil Belau, is participated by traditional and contemporary women leaders in government and non-governmental organization throughout the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap), Republic of Marshal Islands, Palau and the United States Territories of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
The summit was aimed at strengthening and exchanging traditional knowledge, cultural traditions, practices and wisdom among the respective Micronesian women and organizing and mobilizing women in Micronesia to identify common issues facing the region and developing tangible solutions and goals from the perspective of Micronesian women role in society, professionally, personally and culturally.
Although most of the audiences in the summit are elder women, Risong Tarkong, the summit’s secretary, said there are actually younger women behind the plenary sessions.
Tarkong said they have extended invitations but they cannot force all the women, especially those who are working, to take a leave from their work and participate in the summit.
The signing of resolution and communiqué are scheduled to take place at the closing of the summit this afternoon.
By Aurea Gerundio-Dizon
Island Times www.islandtimes.us via Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center
* * *
Watch the news clip on Oceania Television Network: Micronesian Women Leaders address common issues in the region
* * *
See the Programme for the Inaugural Micronesian Regional Women’s Summit: “Weave and Balance the Basket: Strengthening Micronesian Women through Culture, Tradition and Knowledge to meet today’s Challenges.”
August 1-3, 2012, Ngarachamayong Cultural Center, Koror, Republic of Palau