Alongside climate change, Pacific Island Forum Leaders and development partners recognize that the current global economic crisis presents one of the most serious challenges to the achievement of National and Millennium Development Goals. Unless the crisis is responded to effectively, Pacific Island countries on track to meet their development goals could fall behind, while those that are struggling to advance could be left even worse off.

The impact of the current crisis will depend on a variety of factors and will vary between different countries. Nevertheless, children and women in many Pacific Island countries are likely to be among those most severely affected, and those already most vulnerable will face the greatest impacts.

Protecting Pacific Island children and women during economic and food crises is very much a work-in-progress. This first edition examines some of the known and potential impacts on Pacific Island children and women of the 2008 food price rise crisis and the current economic crisis. It also highlights some of the crucial lessons learned from previous crises.