The European Union, Australian government, the United Nations and two regional organizations formed a partnership to coordinate the region’s largest single project to end violence against women and girls in the Pacific.

Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation for the Pacific Christoph Wagner says the $46.72million programme will build on the decades of work by civil society and governments to address the issue.

Wagner says in the Pacific region up to two in every three women are affected by domestic and gender-based violence.

“Research indicates that the cost of violence against women could amount to around two percent of the global gross domestic product which is about 1.5 trillion US Dollars. Violence against women and girls is dramatic and has lifelong consequences to the victims, the families and the whole societies.”

He adds the Pacific Partnership aims to ensure victims have access to quality response services.

The European Union is strongly committed to empowering women and the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls around the world.