Development assistance in Fiji
Overview
Australia supports Fiji's stability through a number of key partnerships. We have a long-standing partnership in the education sector through our partnership with the Ministry of Education, aligning all of our support with the Ministry's strategic priorities. Through our Institutional Partnerships Program (IPP) we support Fiji's priorities to improve public financial management, public sector performance and policies for economic recovery and growth; and provide valued support for democratic processes, inclusive governance and policy making. We also work closely with the Fijian Government and other organisations to increase gender equality and women's economic empowerment. We leverage a number of global and regional initiatives, including Australia Awards, Australian Volunteers International, the Australian Pacific Climate Partnership and the Australia Pacific Training Coalition to support Fiji's resilience and stability.
Australia’s Bilateral Education Program
Up to $37.5 million, 2017-2024
The Fiji Education Program (FEP) aims to ‘improve learning outcomes for all Fijian girls and boys and it is the latest iteration of a long-term commitment by the Australian Government to support the education sector in Fiji. The FEP was preceded by the Fiji Education Sector Support Program (FESP, 2004 to 2009) and the Access to Quality Education Program (AQEP, 2011 to 2017). Australia's support to Fiji's education sector is administered by the Fiji Program Support Facility. The Program supports the Ministry of Education strategic priorities of systems strengthening, teacher preparation and development, literacy and numeracy, inclusive education, and the Fiji Education Management Information System (FEMIS); and the Fiji Government's civil service reforms in the education sector. The Program assists the Ministry's efforts to provide quality learning and teaching through targeted support including demand-driven technical assistance, grants to support analytics and partnerships.
Related documents
| Name of document | Year published |
|---|---|
| Fiji Education Program Design Update | 2022 |
| Fiji Education Program Mid Term Review | 2021 |
Australia’s Bilateral Governance Program
Up to $22 million, 2019-25
The Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnerships Program (IPP) seeks to support Fiji's stability, prosperity and resilience to shocks. The IPP supports Fiji's priorities in areas including public financial management, public sector performance and policies for economic recovery and growth; and provides valued support for democratic processes, inclusive governance and policy making. The IPP contributes to implementation of the Vuvale Partnership through fostering closer institutional linkages in support of strong and inclusive societies. The program supports twinning relationship between Australian and Fijian Government agencies; work by multilateral organisations, development banks and other partners; and mobilises targeted technical assistance.
Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development and Pacific Women Lead – Fiji
Up to $26 million, 2013-23
The Australian Government is investing approximately $26 million over 10 years (2013–2023) on initiatives supporting women's empowerment in Fiji under Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development, and now Pacific Women Lead.
Pacific Women Lead builds on almost 10-years of financial and technical support provided by the former Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) program.
Pacific Women Lead, one of the largest global commitments to gender equality, supports the second Fiji Country Plan (2018–2022) that builds on successes and lessons learned from the first country plan (2013-2019). The second country plan is strengthening monitoring, evaluation and learning to better assess the interconnectedness of gender equality and promote processes to build greater ownership of the program. It aims to increase reach to vulnerable groups such as women with disability and those in rural and remote areas and develop a clearer strategy to address women's economic empowerment in Fiji. Fiji’s Country Plan also encourages coalitions of women's rights organisations committed to a Pacific where there is gender justice, ecological sustainability, peace, freedom, equality and human rights for all.
The Fiji Women's Fund
Up to 10.5 million, 2017-2022
In 2017, Pacific Women supported the establishment of the Fiji Women's Fund to support women's groups, organisations and networks in Fiji through grants that promote gender equality. As an independent local entity, the Fiji Women’s Fund is supported by the DFAT bilateral program and Amplify-Invest-Reach (AIR) Partnership and private sector philanthropy for the period January 2022 to December 2025.
Related documents
| Name of document | Year published |
|---|---|
| Fiji Women's Fund (FWF) mid term review and management response | 2020 |
The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre
Up to $10.05 million, 2016-22
Fiji Women's Crisis Centre (FWCC) is an independent, local non-government organisation working towards the elimination of violence against women and girls in Fiji and the Pacific region. Australia has supported FWCC since 1990, in collaboration with the Government of New Zealand.
Related documents
| Name of document | Year published |
|---|---|
| Fiji Women's Crisis Centre: Independent Evaluation Report and Management Response | 2020 |
Australia Awards – Fiji
Up to $5.5 million annually
Australia Awards is well positioned to support Fiji's strategic priorities through long-term capacity-building of Fijians, who can drive change during and beyond the pandemic. Working closely with key government and private sector partners, the program is committed to key sectors such as health, economic growth, infrastructure, environment and agriculture etc. Since 2012, more than 1000 Australia Awards scholarships have been awarded to Fijians to study at higher education institutions in Australia and the Pacific.
From 2025 Australia will quadruple the number of Australia Award Pacific Scholarships (AAPS) offered annually to Fijian students from 12 to 15. These scholarships will focus on addressing critical skills gaps in the Fiji economy including healthcare, engineering and technical trades
Supporting programs
As well as our Fiji-specific programs, Australia supports Fiji's development priorities through the following regional, global and international initiatives, all of which operate in Fiji: