Women of Tabiteuea South are trained on marcotting practice for multiplying their breadfruit food crops.
The Women’s Development Division (WDD) was created in January 2011 under the Ministry of Internal and Social Affairs and then became part of MWYSA.
The WDD aims to promote gender equality and improve women’s and girls’ status and livelihoods in Kiribati by enabling their equal access to resources, opportunities and rights as well as full participation in economic, social and political life.
The WDD’s responsibilities include developing, implementing and monitoring gender policies and programmes on gender equality, providing technical assistance (e.g. training, financial support) to women’s organizations and other stakeholders, hosting national events and awareness raising activities, collecting data and preparing reports.
It's through the benefits offered to the registered Tabiteuea South Welfare Community Group (WCG) that theKiribati Outer Islands Food and Water Project (KOIFAWP) at Tabiteuea South came in in 2021. It became the 7th separate group to join the biggest community group on the island, Kamwengaraoi (Welfare Community Group).
Registered groups such as women’s, families, fishermen, agriculturists, NGOs, corporations and other kind of groups wishing to have access to small aid grants are registered under this government ministry where registration is free.
The project, comprising 11 young men and women have joined the Welfare Community Group (WCG) and have participated in planned activities formulated by its executives in its monthly meetings.
Prior to joining the WCG, the KOIFAWP team have been working and conducted training with six villages from the island encompassing youths, women and men.
Trainings conducted by KOIFAWP team were on plumbing, house construction, media and knowledge management, human right, goal setting, Johari Window, gender mainstreaming, sensitivity and establishing women and community organization. They have had training on agroforestry, data collection, electronic reporting tools that they are working with.
Tabiteuea South WCG have ongoing trainings conducted by MWYSSA such as cooking, sewing and making local handicrafts.
As in the case of KOIFAWP team, the reason for joining the Island WCG (Kamwengaraoi), is to work and know members so they can propose home gardening to be included as one of the adopted activities established in every homes.
The SCG is a registered organization and is fully recognized and supported by the Island Council.
The KOIFAWP team has not established their own community but they join the Kamwengaraoi (Island Welfare Community) for benefits that are available to members only such as trainings on cooking, sewing, handicrafts-making, exclusive training for men.
Furthermore, monthly meetings are conducted where important tasks and issues are addressed, needs and concerns or issues are discussed to rectify the situation.
With the full support of the Island Council to WCG, KOIFAWP team is now engaged with the island’s welfare group where they hope to involve members with their home gardening plans.
ENDS