United Nations Women under-secretary-general and executive director Michelle Bachelet told a large public gathering at a gender panel discussion on Wednesday that “the time for action is now”.

The discussion was held as a Forum side event, and was scheduled directly after Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that her government would be earmarking $320 million to achieve gender equality in the Pacific, under the ‘Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development’ scheme to be rolled out over the next decade.

Bachelet – who was Chile’s first female president, serving between 2006 and 2010 – called upon Pacific leaders to take urgent action to combat inequality between the sexes.

The former medical doctor said the key to raising women’s profile was empowering them through eco-based management.

Women make up 43 percent of agricultural workers around the world, although in some African countries this is as high as 80 percent.

“But they don’t have the same access or rights to land,” she said.

A county’s agricultural output could increase by up to four percent if resources were distributed evenly between women and men, helping provide for the 100 to 150 million people without enough food in the world.

Bachelet says Pacific leaders know what the problems are and what to do.

“My main message is let’s walk the talk. Let’s transform words into action.”

Action, she says, for zero tolerance for violence against women, and action against a society monopolized by men.

“Action for a better society and a better world for all.”

Forum Secretariat strategic partnership and coordination programme director Su’a Kevin Thomsen provided a regional context to the discussions.

He said that while some good progress had been made in the Pacific, most countries have been struggling to meet gender equality standards.

But the Cook Islands had made better progress than most, he said, especially in employing women in high-level public positions.

The Cooks have recently appointed their second female speaker of parliament, Nikki Rattle, who was on the gender panel.

Women occupy only 5 percent of the seats in Pacific parliaments, even though research reveals that the higher the level of female representation in a government, the lower the rate of corruption.

Pacific Island women need to be involved in all spheres of decision making from grassroots level right through to government, he said.

“While in theory some would argue there are no obstacles to women achieving high level positions, in practice social, economic and cultural factors help to discriminate against women.”

Discussion chair Finance Minister Mark Brown agreed.

“There really must be a gender balance in decision making so we do not lose the intellectual capacity that comes from both groups.”

UN resident coordinator Nileema Noble said she is “sorry” to inform everyone that gender issues recently addressed at the Rio+20 in June were the same as 20 years ago.

Research has shown more than two out of three women in some Pacific countries have suffered physical or sexual abuse.

Noble applauded Gillard for “putting her money where her mouth is,” and said it will take courage to address the problem.

“But we have never been in a time where we can better make a difference.”

The panel also included Australia’s newly-appointed global ambassador for women and girls Penny Williams, Cook Islands civil society organisation representative Emele Duituturaga, and European Union Pacific head of mission Alistair MacDonald.