U.S. Embassy Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. On July 22, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville’s (ARB) Women, Peace and Security Technical Working Group met to assess progress in achieving the objectives of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (NAP-WPS). The working group is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the $1.5 million, two-year Women Peace Building Initiative (WPBI) implemented in partnership with Counterpart International.

USAID Regional Pacific Director, Richard Edwards, said: “The United States strongly supports empowering women to become effective peacemakers, community leaders, and champions of civil and human rights.” “We are pleased to work with them, the ARB government, civil society organizations, and other development partners to improve the prospects for sustainable peace, security, and development in Bougainville,” he added.

Through grants to six innovative, women-led local organizations, impressive results have been achieved in the areas of family sexual violence prevention and awareness; mental health and trauma counseling; and awareness and advocacy of human rights, women’s empowerment, and greater women’s participation as leaders in government, business, and the social sector.

Important activities supported by the WPBI project have included training and mentoring support for community health workers in mental health referral and treatment, radio programming on women’s rights and gender issues affecting Bougainville, violence awareness and prevention trainings for men, women, youth and community leaders, and women’s business development trainings.

Through the WPBI project, USAID and Counterpart International have established collaborative relationships with stakeholders at the community and government levels. Its key partners include the Women, Peace and Security Technical Working Group, the Family and Sexual Violence Technical Working Group and the Mental Health Steering Group.

USAID assistance in the Pacific Islands helps countries adapt to the negative impacts of global climate change and environmental degradation; assists the government and civil society of Papua New Guinea (PNG) expand HIV prevention, care and treatment models; strengthens women, peace and security in PNG; and provides disaster mitigation, relief and reconstruction in Federal States of Micronesia and Republic of Marshall Islands. For more information about USAID programs in the Pacific Islands, visit http://www.usaid.gov/pacificislands.

Counterpart International is a non-profit international development organization that helps people build better lives and more durable futures, community by community. For 50 years, Counterpart has been an innovator, changing the way people look at, and solve, global development challenges. In 2014, Counterpart worked with 150,000 leaders – including women and youth – and more than 3,500 local organizations in 22 countries around the world. Learn more at www.counterpart.org.