Women and the Justice Divide in Asia Pacific: How can Informal and Formal Institutions Bridge the Gap?

Across Asia and the Pacific, legal pluralist systems meet both cultural norms and address injustices at the local level. What is the capacity of these pluralist systems to provide justice and mitigate discrimination against women? This article examines women's experiences across five countries to identify the factors that enable and constrain women's engagement with legal pluralist justice systems in the Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on examples of women's individual and collective attempts to access justice specifically concerning custody, land, and violence, this article identifies three persistent conditions that perpetuate women's inability to access justice: the absence of gender mainstreaming resources in pluralist legal systems, most notably in rural, remote, and impoverished communities;cultural and religious preference for women's underrepresentation in decision-making;and women's low representation in justice-related civil service positions.

Challenges and opportunities in rapid disaster research: lessons from the field in New Mexico and Vanuatu.

Rapid research is essential to assess impacts in communities affected by disasters, particularly those communities made "hard-to-reach" due to their active marginalization across history and in contemporary practices. In this article, we describe two rapid research projects developed to assess needs for and experiences of communities hard-hit by disasters. The first is a project on the COVID-19 pandemic in southern New Mexico (USA) that was developed to provide information to local agencies that are deploying programs to rebuild and revitalize marginalized communities. The second is a project on population displacement due to a volcanic eruption in Vanuatu, a lower-middle income country in the South Pacific, with mental and physical health outcomes data shared with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health. We describe the similar and unique challenges that arose doing rapid research in these two different contexts, the potential broader impacts of the research, and a synthesis of lessons learned. We discuss the challenges of rapidly changing rules and regulations, lack of baseline data, lack of survey instruments validated for specific populations and in local languages, limited availability of community partners, finding funding for rapid deployment of projects, rapidly training and working with research assistants, health and safety concerns of researchers and participants, and communicating with local and international partners. We also specifically discuss how we addressed our own personal challenges while also conducting time-intensive rapid research. In both studies, researchers shared results with governmental and non-governmental partners who may use the data to inform the design of their own relief programs. While different in context, type of disaster, and research strategy, our discussion of these projects provides insights into common lessons learned for working with communities at elevated risk for the worst outcomes during disasters, such as the need for flexibility, compromise, and good working relationships with community partners.

Beyond the 'Triple Win': Pacific Islander farmworkers' use of social media to navigate labour mobility costs and possibilities through the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the global horticultural sector's reliance on migrant workers. Within Australia, public attention was focused particularly on Pacific Islanders employed through the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) guestworker scheme. With national border closures resulting in significant labour shortages for the horticultural industry, special-purpose exemptions allowing limited groups of SWP workers to enter the country were celebrated as a source of reprieve for struggling farmers. For Pacific Islander workers and communities, however, the prospect of leaving Pacific countries (many of whom had at the time no, or very few, recorded cases of COVID-19) to labour for unspecified periods in a country experiencing much higher rates of infection, was fraught. In this paper, we examine the use of social media by Pacific Islanders to negotiate the costs and benefits of temporary labour migration amid the pandemic. For ni-Vanuatu workers, we argue, Facebook groups facilitated depictions and negotiations of guestwork that were significantly more complex and nuanced than the reductive and bifurcated terms of mainstream media discourse about the SWP scheme. We conclude by highlighting the necessity of foregrounding migrant workers' voices in evaluating guestworker schemes, and the value of social media as a dynamic space within which this might be done. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Leverage points to address climate change risk in destinations

Transformational system change is required to respond to the current climate emergency and the COVID-19 induced structural break presents an opportunity to progress such change. While the tourism industry accepts the need for change, how this may look like remains unclear. This article contributes to identifying pathways by presenting critical reflections on the research process and findings from a three-year research project on reducing climate change risk in Vanuatu. The approach is anchored in systems thinking and draws on the concept of leverage points. Seven points are identified for intervening in the tourism system to reduce climate change risk and achieve varying levels of systemic change. Each is explored in the context of Vanuatu before its broader relevance is discussed. The findings highlight the importance of engaging with deeper influences of risk and unsustainable system outcomes. This has implications for how decision-makers approach crisis management and what ‘tourism recovery' means, especially when considering that system resilience might stand in the way of more profound transformational change required to address long-term risks.Alternate :中文摘要为了应对当前的气候突发事件, 需要进行转变性的制度变革。新型冠状肺炎引发的结构性突破为推动这种变化提供了机会。虽然旅游业接受了有必要进行改变, 但这可能会变成什么样子仍然是未知数。该文通过对一项为期三年的关于减少瓦努阿图气候变化风险研究项目过程和结果的批判性反思, 提出对气候变化进行转变性制度变革的路径。本文方法以系统思维为基础, 并借鉴杠杆点的概念, 提出对旅游系统进行干预的七个要点, 以减少气候变化风险, 实现不同程度的系统性变化。每个要点都是先在瓦努阿图的范围内进行探讨, 然后再讨论其更广泛的启发意义。研究结果强调应对风险和不可持续系统的更深层次影响因素的重要性。该研究结果对决策者如何处理危机管理和理解"旅游业复苏”的意义有启发, 尤其当决策者考虑到系统的弹性可能会阻碍解决长远风险所需要的更深远的转变性变革。

Cyclone Harold and the role of traditional knowledge in fostering resilience in Vanuatu

This article examines the role of traditional knowledge, skills, and values in fostering resilience in Vanuatu, the world's most at-risk country from natural hazards. We study responses to severe Tropical Cyclone (TC) Harold, which devastated the nation's northern islands in April 2020 just as a state of emergency had been declared in response to COVID-19. This necessitated severe restrictions on the delivery of relief supplies and a ban on the arrival of overseas humanitarian workers, forcing remote communities to adopt local responses to the emergency and cope with food insecurity through traditional resilience strategies and values that promote resource-sharing and cooperation. We use a mixed methods approach to analyse the content, extent, and transmission of traditional knowledge in Vanuatu and link this to evidence of its usefulness during TC Harold. Quantitative data from field surveys with two groups of respondents are combined with reports on responses to TC Harold both nationally and along the remote western coast of Santo Island. We also review the extent of traditional knowledge in current educational curricula in Vanuatu. Results illustrate how traditional ecological knowledge and social capital played a key role in disaster response and recovery, but such knowledge is mainly held by older people, and its use by younger generations is declining. We conclude that with rising global temperatures predicted to generate more extreme weather events, and external funds for disaster relief likely to decline, there is a need to build greater adaptive capacity at the local level through the revival of centuries-old informal transmission pathways of knowledge and values. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Antibiotic Consumption in Vanuatu before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2018 to 2021: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

The study objectives were to examine antibiotic consumption at Vila Central Hospital (VCH), Vanuatu between January 2018 and December 2021 and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic consumption during this period. Data on antibiotic usage were obtained from the Pharmacy database. We used the WHO's Anatomical Therapeutic Classification/Defined Daily Dose (ATC/DDD) index, VCH's inpatient bed numbers and the hospital's catchment population to calculate monthly antibiotic consumption. The results were expressed as DDDs per 100 bed days for inpatients (DBDs) and DDDs per 1000 inhabitants per day for outpatients (DIDs). Interrupted time series (ITS) was used to assess the influence of COVID-19 by comparing data before (January 2018 to January 2020) and during (February 2020 to December 2021) the pandemic. Ten antibiotics were examined. In total, 226 DBDs and 266 DBDs were consumed before and during COVID-19 by inpatients, respectively with mean monthly consumption being significantly greater during COVID-19 than before the pandemic (2.66 (p = 0.009, 95% CI 0.71; 4.61)). Whilst outpatients consumed 102 DIDs and 92 DIDs before and during the pandemic, respectively, the difference was not statistically significant. Findings also indicated that outpatients consumed a significantly lower quantity of Watch antibiotics during COVID-19 than before the pandemic (0.066 (p = 0.002, 95% CI 0.03; 0.11)). The immediate impact of COVID-19 caused a reduction in both inpatient and outpatient mean monthly consumption by approximately 5% and 16%, respectively, and this was followed by an approximate 1% monthly increase until the end of the study. By mid-2021, consumption had returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The China Alternative. Changing Regional Order in the Pacific Islands

The presence of China poses a challenge to the dominance of Western powers and their allies, who have set the agenda in the Pacific since the end of the Second World War. [...]today, the region has been characterised by (post-)colonial power structures. In her opening remarks, Dame Meg Taylor clearly states that the Pacific Island states regard the presence of China in the region as a positive development because it gives PIF countries access to markets, technology, financing and infrastructure. The Boe Declaration of the PIF meeting in 2018, which states that "climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific" (ix) - is the principal element of efforts by Pacific Island state leaders to implement the "Blue Pacific" concept and stands in stark contrast to the environmental and security policy of PIF member country Australia as well as that of the previous Trump administration. In Australia alone, economic damage caused each year by Beijing's punitive actions in response to bans on Huawei equipment (Australia excludes the Chinese company from the country's 5G roll-out) and COVID-19 demands (Canberra's call for an independent investigation into the origins of the virus) runs into the billions annually.

Cyclone Harold and the role of traditional knowledge in fostering resilience in Vanuatu

This article examines the role of traditional knowledge, skills, and values in fostering resilience in Vanuatu, the world’s most at-risk country from natural hazards. We study responses to severe Tropical Cyclone (TC) Harold, which devastated the nation’s northern islands in April 2020 just as a state of emergency had been declared in response to COVID-19. This necessitated severe restrictions on the delivery of relief supplies and a ban on the arrival of overseas humanitarian workers, forcing remote communities to adopt local responses to the emergency and cope with food insecurity through traditional resilience strategies and values that promote resource-sharing and cooperation. We use a mixed methods approach to analyse the content, extent, and transmission of traditional knowledge in Vanuatu and link this to evidence of its usefulness during TC Harold. Quantitative data from field surveys with two groups of respondents are combined with reports on responses to TC Harold both nationally and along the remote western coast of Santo Island. We also review the extent of traditional knowledge in current educational curricula in Vanuatu. Results illustrate how traditional ecological knowledge and social capital played a key role in disaster response and recovery, but such knowledge is mainly held by older people, and its use by younger generations is declining. We conclude that with rising global temperatures predicted to generate more extreme weather events, and external funds for disaster relief likely to decline, there is a need to build greater adaptive capacity at the local level through the revival of centuries-old informal transmission pathways of knowledge and values © The Author(s) 2022. (Copyright notice)

Decolonising Myself: Navigating the Researcher-Activist Identity in the Urban South Pacific

This paper charts my path from observer to action researcher – and my ex post realisation that a transition had happened in my work. This transition happened on the fly, in the field, without me critically reflecting on it at the time, while I was studying evictions in Port Vila, Vanuatu, South Pacific. My ethics came into direct conflict with my research approach, and I chose to change my approach. I theorise my transformation in the modernity/coloniality literature and close by offering strategies to students and other researchers who are looking for ways to engage more deeply with, and give something back to, the communities they study.

THE Pacific WAY

Situation in Fiji The hospitals in Fiji continue to experience large increases in the number of COVID-19 cases requiring respiratory support, and blood gas analysis is essential in determining appropriate management strategies for these patients as well as other critically ill patients. The PPTC acknowledging the increasing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concerns of local government and health sectors in managing COVID-19 cases, made an application to the New Zealand Government for support funding, and on approval, the PPTC was able to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji by procuring and installing essential blood gas analysers with reagent supply in the three main hospitals in Fiji. Labasa Hospital Blood gas analysis has not been available in this laboratory, to meet the hospitals ongoing clinical management of patients in terms of their oxygenation and ventilation needs and so Labasa became the third hospital to be considered for the essential supply of blood gas analysers.

Locating the traditional economy in Port Vila, Vanuatu: disaster relief and agrobiodiversity. (Special Issue: Surviving well: from diverse economies to community economies in Asia Pacific.)

Alternative economic indicators are becoming policy in Vanuatu, particularly focusing on what national policy calls traditional economy. Although this acknowledges livelihoods and customary land in rural areas, urban places receive less attention. This article advances an argument that cities are also home to traditional economies. We draw on concepts of diverse economies and translocality to examine how economic practices typically associated with community activities on customary land are also found in cities where households lack direct access to customary resources. Empirical data come from the authors' fieldwork and participation in community-based organisations in Port Vila, Vanuatu, from 2017 to 2020. The case study presents surveys of agrobiodiversity in 27 urban backyards and livelihood practices of 24 households;and accounts of co-authors' participation in community-based disaster to distribute disaster relief supplies from urban to rural, create urban markets for rural crops and build urban resilience following Ambae Island's Manaro volcano eruptions and COVID-19-related unemployment. This study demonstrates how traditional economies are part of everyday urban life.

Mathematical Modeling for Removing Border Entry and Quarantine Requirements for COVID-19, Vanuatu.

The Pacific Island country of Vanuatu is considering strategies to remove border restrictions implemented during 2020 to prevent imported coronavirus disease. We performed mathematical modeling to estimate the number of infectious travelers who had different entry scenarios and testing strategies. Travel bubbles and testing on entry have the greatest importation risk reduction.

Modelling the impact of COVID-19 in small Pacific island countries. (Special Issue: COVID-19 and tourism.)

This paper studies the economic impact of COVID-19 in Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The UNWTO's International Tourism 2020 Scenarios and the World Bank's projected decline in remittance flows are treated as negative COVID-19 led shocks in the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model. Negative tourism shocks are significant for all three countries, whereas negative remittance shocks are significant for Tonga only. Thus, the economic effects of COVID-19 are propagated by tourism for all three countries, whilst remittance is a COVID-19 transmission channel for Tonga only. Simulations with the projected declines in tourism and remittances suggest that Vanuatu would experience the greatest decline in growth and highest uncertainty, whilst Tonga would face the lowest decline and uncertainty.

THE CHANGE IN TOURISM OF CENTRAL DALMATIA UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 CRISIS

After two seasons under the Covid-19 restrictions, this paper analyzes the tourist arrivals and overnights in one of the most popular tourist regions in the Republic of Croatia - Central Dalmatia. After the record year 2019, in the following two years the number of tourists in Croatia declined. However, 2021 was much better than 2020. Additionally, compared to other Mediterranean countries, Croatia has had excellent season in both crisis years. The analysis in this paper includes descriptive statistical methods. The idea is to show how the top destinations have changed in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019. Over the periodfrom 2010 to 2020, the number of tourists from the most important markets (countries) was growing each year. A graphical analysis compares this trends regarding the number of tourist arrivals and overnights.

Prospects and constraints of post-cyclone housing reconstruction in Vanuatu drawing from the experience of tropical cyclone Harold.

Vanuatu is one of the countries in the world most at risk from natural hazards. This Pacific island country is frequently struck by ferocious tropical cyclones, such as Cyclone Harold in April 2020, causing massive devastation to the housing sector; nearly 21,000 houses were destroyed and damaged by the cyclone. Drawing from the literature and communications with local stakeholders, five main thematic aspects were analysed: nature of the impact of cyclones on housing; key challenges for post-cyclone housing reconstruction in Vanuatu; cyclone-resistant construction approaches; post-Harold housing reconstruction initiatives; and key opportunities. Of particular significance is the dilemma posed by traditional versus 'modern' approaches to design and construction for post-disaster reconstruction. There are many guidelines available for cyclone-resistant housing, but they face barriers to dissemination and application, and whether they are necessarily appropriate in the cultural context of Vanuatu is examined. Vanuatu faces a difficult situation in the aftermath of Cyclone Harold in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it can be expected that the reconstruction will be a protracted process.

COVID-19 restrictions amidst cyclones and volcanoes: A rapid assessment of early impacts on livelihoods and food security in coastal communities in Vanuatu.

Coastal communities in regions like the Pacific have been impacted by COVID-19 related public health measures that limit the movement of people, trade and access to resources. In disaster-prone countries, like Vanuatu, such measures add to existing pressures on coastal communities' adaptive capacity. To understand how coastal communities in Vanuatu were impacted in the immediate period after COVID-19 measures were placed, and how people responded to the changing circumstances, a rapid appraisal survey was carried out following a nationally declared state of emergency in March 2020. Results reveal changes in village population, loss of cash income, difficulties in accessing food and shifting pressures on particular resources and habitats. The findings provide insights into the ways local adaptive capacity to satisfy livelihood and food security needs differed among rural contexts. From this we argue that broad quantitative impact assessments are important in guiding strategic and longer term responses and adaptations, but that these are made more useful when complemented with qualitative insights on people and place in the short-term.