Over 200 people congregated in Fiji during July’s Talk Periods! Festival, advocating for menstrual health to be a central aspect of disaster preparedness. The event, themed “Biology doesn’t pause for a cyclone warning,” showed the inadequate addressing of menstruation in many disaster relief programs. Attendees called for practical solutions to barriers like limited clean water, sanitation, affordable menstrual products, and period stigma.
Overlooked aspects in disaster response
The festival exposed a persistent gap in Pacific humanitarian response: while emergency shelters and food supplies get attention, menstrual health has long been an afterthought, affecting half the population in disasters. Clean water, key for hygiene, becomes scarce when needed most. Private changing spaces are rarely provided, leaving women and girls few options. Organizers argued these aren’t luxuries, but necessities.
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The gathering also linked menstrual health to broader public health concerns, like Fiji’s ongoing HIV crisis. Advocates noted intravenous drug users face additional barriers to sterile equipment. Uate Tamanikaiyaroi, a human rights advocate at Planned Parenthood Federation’s Suva office, said pharmacies often refuse sales without prescriptions, hindering harm reduction efforts.
Drought affects Vanuatu
As Fiji hosted the festival, Vanuatu declared a drought emergency in parts of Torba, Sanma, Penama, and Malampa provinces due to significantly below-average rainfall. Regional partners endorsed a UN call for reduced methane emissions, with Tuvalu’s Minister of Home Affairs, Maina Vakafua Talia, likening continued emissions to delaying a life-saving treatment.
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Between 2010 and 2021, Pacific Islands received $3.4 billion in climate finance, with 59% for adaptation and 31% for mitigation. An estimated $13.2 billion is needed by 2030, but only a quarter has been mobilized. The Pacific Islands Forum adopted a new climate finance strategy from 2025 to 2030.
Pacific security alliances shift
July saw increased Pacific focus when a missile test coincided with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Fiji visit. The Pacific Islands Forum Partnership expanded into the Pacific Ocean of Peace Union Treaty, and the Ocean of Peace Alliance was formed, backed by $1 billion Australian spending targeting transnational crime, education, health, and infrastructure in Fiji.
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Critics, including Pacific peace activists, argue the new alliance contradicts regional demilitarization efforts. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale proposed a Pacific-wide regional security agreement, discussing it with counterparts in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Sport has surprisingly strengthened ties; Australia committed FJD$35 million to Fiji’s sports development, and a region-wide rugby league deal was signed with Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga.
Regional governments and activists renewed calls for Australia to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Tonga ratified the Full Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty during this period, with Tonga’s UN permanent representative, Viliami Va’inga Tōnē, stating it’s a contribution to preventing others from experiencing nuclear test pain.