12 Jun 2012

Call for direct funding of Pacific youth organisations

1:36 pm on 12 June 2012

The young women's officer for the Fiji Women's Rights Movement says the New Zealand government's prioritisation of economic development over human rights in its aid spending has left youth programmes without funding.

The comment came during the annual meeting in Wellington of the New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development which is focused this year on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of Pacific adolescents.

New Zealand's ministry of foreign affairs now funds Pacific sexual and reproductive health initiatives largely through international agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund.

But Filomena Tuivanualevu says programmes for young people need direct support.

"There's a need for national approaches that are designed to meet the context and the need of the people in that country and in particular activities or initiatives that are youth-led or designed by young people for young people. So I think that is important and that needs a whole lot of support."

The young women's officer for the Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Filomena Tuivanualevu.