Reflections by Pio Smith, UNFPA Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, on his visit to Solomon Islands and Kiribati from 20-28 March 2024.
Contraception, culture, and the climate crisis – these were the resounding themes during my recent visits to Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
While the Pacific region is indeed diverse with each of its small island nations being unique in its own way, what stood out to me the most was the unwavering resilience of the Pacific people, particularly the women and girls that live in some of the hardest to reach islands.