Fiji, Feb. 25 -- Pacific women are still being shut out of the decision-making process when it comes to disaster management, says a women's rights advocate.

Fiji-based Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls said despite being some of the first responders, women were more often than not regarded as vulnerable beneficiaries in official strategies.

As a result, she said, official decisions failed to factor in the diverse needs and interests of half the region's population.

Bhagwan-Rolls, of the Shifting the Power Coalition, said women across the Pacific were sharing experiences, collaborating and amplifying recommendations for more diverse voices in decision-making at a local and national level.

She said 2020 was an important year as part of the review of...