PCV - Amanda Woolsey
Celebrate Women Event, Bau Island
On May 28th & May 29th, my counterpart and I hosted a Celebrate Women's Event on Bau Island. We hosted this event to recognize all the great things women do for the community, while also giving them an opportunity to gather and grow as a group. We incorporated specific topics that we believed directly benefited women in the village setting. A speaker from Empower Pacific (a local Fijian organization) attended the event and presented an interactive discussion based around positive parenting, effective communication, and stress management. After the discussion, the women participated in a Zumba class and nutrition/NCD presentation, where we discussed the importance of a healthy lifestyle and prevention of illness. The highlight of the event was an interactive art class taught by a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, where the women were able to be creative and empowered to create their own masterpiece. The second day, was followed by a goal-setting and SMART goal presentation, where we discussed realistic steps to take to be successful. Lastly, we ended with a delicious meal and re-usable bag sewing class taught by my amazing counterpart.
The feedback we received from the women were all extremely positive and they all felt empowered to set some realistic goals for their personal and professional lives. The women have begun meeting each week to begin an income generating project with SPBD (South Pacific Business Development) and discuss issues and concerns regarding women in the community. We will also be hosting workshops and events regarding gender equality and domestic violence within the next few months from the feedback we got from the women who attended.
