Amnesty Unimpressed By "Action"

From the NZ Herald:

Amnesty International has condemned the Pacific Islands Forum leaders for being all talk and no action on reducing violence against Pacific women.

After the forum, which concluded in Vanuatu yesterday, Pacific leaders commended themselves for their action and acknowledged a recommendation to set up a reference group on gender-based violence in the future.

But Amnesty International said this was "weak and disappointing".

"Governments need to step up action," said Hannah Harborow, the Amnesty International Australia co-ordinator of the Stop Violence Against Women Campaign.

"Last year they pledged to eradicate gender-based violence. There hasn't been a lot of movement in the last 12 months. This year we wanted concrete facts about what they will do."

Pacific researcher Apolosi Bose said the forum was simply paying "lip service" to the issue. "Culture is often used as an excuse for inaction on this issue, but it is not a Pacific tradition to rape, torture, abuse or murder women and young girls."