This June, over 50 feminist delegates from 15 Pacific Island countries came together in Fiji to send one powerful message: Pacific Feminists will not back down – we will continue to rise. From its founding in 2013, the Pacific Feminist Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Coalition has been a vital force in regional feminists organising, advocacy, and movement building. Now, more than a decade later, the Coalition is stronger than ever, expanding across oceans, islands, and identities to uphold bodily autonomy, gender justice, and human rights for all Pacific women, girls, and non-binary people. The 4th Pacific Feminist SRHR Coalition Meeting, held from 17 to 19 June 2025, brought together a diverse array of participants – youth, urban and peri-urban activists, rural and maritime community members, Indigenous women, people of faith, and gender-diverse leaders. These voices gathered not only to reflect on the journey so far but to chart the course forward. The three-day regional gathering centred the most marginalised voices, amplifying collective demands on SRHR and SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics). It also renewed pressure on governments, donors, and development actors to uphold decolonial, feminist, and rights-based approaches to policy and funding, while upholding the duty of care, justice, and equity. According to DIVA for Equality, one of the co-conveners of the Coalition alongside Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, this work must always be about “putting people and planet over profit”, and resisting all forms of systemic violence. About the Coalition The Pacific Feminist SRHR Coalition is a regional movement-building initiative founded in 2013. Over the last 12 years, it has united diverse feminist groups in a shared commitment to bodily autonomy, integrity, and intersectional justice across the Pacific – an often-challenging feat in the face of deeply patriarchal systems. In 2024, the Coalition launched its first-ever closed funding call, supported by the Pacific Feminist Fund, with grants ranging from NZ$19,900 to NZ$100,000. This historic initiative is funding collective action for sexual and reproductive justice, human rights, climate justice, and well-being across the region. PACFEM SRHR Coalition’s two-year initiative (July 2024–June 2026) was introduced to further strengthen the coalition’s work by supporting local, national, and regional members to enhance and scale-up transformative action across all territories. This funded initiative will focus on comprehensive and inclusive approaches to sexual and reproductive justice, human rights, health, well-being, and climate, recognising the interconnected nature of these struggles and advocating for a more collective approach. Conference of Pacific Feminists Defending the Living Planet The energy of feminist solidarity was echoed earlier this year at the Conference of Pacific Feminists Defending the Living Planet, held in Nadi, Fiji, in April 2024 – organised by DIVA for Equality and Pacific Islands Feminist Alliance for Climate Justice (#PIFA4CJ). Delegates gathered to make bold, decolonial, and intersectional demands – linking climate justice with feminist resistance. The unique experiences of oppression and privilege are deeply interconnected with the climate crisis, patriarchy, neoliberal extractive capitalism, white supremacist racism, and colonialism, all of which need to be addressed. This will require decolonising mindsets – being bold, challenging white-centric perspectives, and recognising that women from marginalised communities bring diverse perspectives impacted by colonialism. The threat to the earth continues to rise each year, and along with it, the experiences of women and marginalised communities evolve. According to Stockholm Resilience Centre studies, a team of scientists has, for the first time, quantified nine processes that together maintain a stable and resilient Earth system, with the results continuing to worsen. Pacific Feminists warn that “we are in ecocidal times, where some humans are making decisions that violate 6 of the 9 planetary boundaries, and put us all in danger”. The Pacific social movements demands will be key to shape and influence various upcoming national, regional, and global spaces in 2025-2026. Upcoming Policy and Advocacy Spaces National policy sessions (various) Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meetings Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meetings United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) and preparations in Nadi hosted by Govt of Fiji (Aug 2025) COP30 (Brazil) and COP31 (Australia or Turkey, TBC) Women Deliver 2026 Conference, 27-30 April 2026, Naarm (Melbourne) UN and CEDAW processes, SDG reviews, and climate negotiations And much more. Strengthening Global and Local Partnerships DIVA for Equality continues to deepen collaborations with key partners – local, regional, and international. This work is not limited to policy spaces. It is rooted in community-based organising, cultural and spiritual resistance, and family and clan-level advocacy. It strengthens ties with feminist allies in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, and beyond, while staying grounded in Pacific realities. DIVA Joins Strategic Partnership DIVA for Equality has recently joined the Equality Collaboration, a strategic partnership implemented via the Pacific Feminist Fund. “We are pleased to be part of the Equality Collaboration: this is not just about funding – it is recognition of movement expertise and a necessary shift in how governments, funders, and development institutions can best partner with frontline activists and organisers,” says Noelene Nabulivou, DIVA for Equality’s founder and Executive Director. This partnership helps drive the message and strengthen feminist civil society movements across the Pacific, particularly in promoting SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) and universal human rights. Disrupting Development Narratives DIVA for Equality’s Poverty to Power network is disrupting traditional development narratives by working with—not for—women and gender-diverse people living in poverty. “We are co-creating policy, practice, and platforms with women living in poverty, not as ‘beneficiaries’, but as experts, strategists, and leaders,” says Noelene. While the global and local economic systems continue to be a disappointment, failing the people, DIVA and its network is building Pacific feminist economies grounded in equity, care, and community well-being. Since 2011, the network has worked directly as a constituency group of DIVA staff, women, and gender non-binary people living below Fiji’s poverty line. Today, its focus remains on mutual aid and structural transformation – pairing organising, direct financial support with research, advocacy, and policy influence at every level by the growing network. “We are excited to continue to discover new ways to work in mutual aid, from respect and on both material [everyday] and structural [long-term and systemic] strategies,” she continues. According to DIVA for Equality Network, more activities have been set in motion to help achieve this, including movement building, direct representation in national, regional, and global development and human rights processes. “Nothing about us without us – that is the heart of our work,” she adds.