FUNAFUTI, Tuvalu – A Small Island Developing State (SIDS) in the Pacific, Tuvalu, has been suffering from drought in many parts of the country since August 2022 due to La Niña. The resulting significant shortage of water led the Government to declare a “State of Public Emergency” on 8 November. As part of the continued response assistance, UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO) on 13 January, handed over some 500 “Dignity Kits” to a local partner, Live and Learn Tuvalu, for distribution to drought-affected women and girls, in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and Agriculture and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Women and girls face unique challenges during humanitarian emergencies, and this drought in Tuvalu is not an exception, especially in terms of maintaining hygiene needs amidst water shortage, as well as protection from gender-based violence that tends to increase during crises.  Against this backdrop, UNFPA Pacific has been working closely with the Tuvalu government’s Gender Affairs Department, which is also a member of the Pacific Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Sub-Cluster that UNFPA leads, as well as with Live and Learn Tuvalu and other partners such as CARE International, to ensure that these women and girls can maintain their dignity and health during the drought and other challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The provision of over 500 Dignity Kits was part of UNFPA Pacific’s initial response package for Tuvalu, a total worth more than 51,000 AUD (36,000 USD), including 258 Pacific-Customised Dignity Kits, 45 Women with Disabilities Dignity Kits, and 205 Menstrual Hygiene Management Kits. These will be distributed in Nanumea, Nanumaga and Niutao, where Drought Alert Level 3 has been activated. H.E. Australian High Commissioner to Tuvalu, Mr. Robin McKenzie OAM (Order of Australian Medal), and Hon. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Agriculture, Mrs. Lototasi Vaguna, participated as the chief guest in the hand-over ceremony held on 13 January.  The kit donation was followed by a virtual orientation session with the national partners about the Guidance Note on UNFPA’s Dignity Kits, which includes key protection principles such as safety and privacy. Further, a rapid assessment survey will also be conducted through Live and Learn Tuvalu, with technical assistance from UNFPA Pacific, and support from the United States Agency for International Development.

H.E. Australian High Commissioner to Tuvalu, Mr. Robin McKenzie OAM, standing beside the Menstrual Hygiene Management Kit that UNFPA Pacific provided to Tuvalu with DFAT/Australia assistance. The kit is customised to support menstrual hygiene needs for at least three months in any given emergencies. During droughts, it is especially important for people who menstruate to have access to disposable menstrual supplies to avoid reusing unhygienic materials.

Dignity Kits are essential for women and girls during emergencies, not only for the purpose of meeting their health and hygiene needs, but also mitigating GBV risks. Global evidence shows that, when household tensions rise as a result of decreased resources, intimate partner violence (IPV) or other forms of GBV will rise. UNFPA has devised the process of distributing these Dignity Kits carefully, to make sure that women and girls can not only receive them safely, but also receive information about their sexual and reproductive health and gender based violence at the same time. Working with local partners such as the Live and Learn Tuvalu or local volunteers who are trained in GBV or child protection measures, adds value as it facilitates easier access at the community level for affected women and girls who seek for help that they need.

UNFPA globally, including in the Pacific, is committed to assisting Member States for developing and further strengthening their national and local capacities for providing lifesaving sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response services and commodities to those hardest to reach. As one of the few organisations with the scale and partnerships necessary for the last-mile delivery, UNFPA PSRO, will accelerate its support to 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories including Tuvalu under its new 7th five-year Multi-Country Programme (MCP7) that commences this year 2023 till 2027, in partnership with donor partners and on-the-ground implementing partners.