Call to recognise advocacy movements
Vuniwaqa confident that the forum will be instrumental in generating innovative ideas and approaches to better deliver our services now and for our future generation.
Sometimes women’s movements are not always fully recognised whereby advocacy and awareness raising on women’s rights are deemed a problem, especially in patriarchal societies. Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa made the comment while opening the first ministerial women’s forum at the Holiday Inn Suva yesterday.
Mrs Vuniwaqa said the forum would be another way of networking and mapping possible ways forward to complement and harmonise the efforts being made for the betterment of our women and Fiji as a nation.
“I wish to emphasise that your role in advancing the women’s agenda is not an option, but it’s a necessity,” she said.
Mrs Vuniwaqa said the outcomes or the concluding observations of the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee would be discussed at the forum.
“It is an opportune time to discuss how we could collectively progress the implementation of the recommendations of the CEDAW committee from the constructive dialogue and the articles of the CEDAW convention in general,” she said.
“The aim is to ensure that this is done effectively through a robust and inclusive approach.
“The ministry looks forward to your valuable contributions to our dialogue. “Government cannot do this in isolation and as custodians of the Convention, we value your suggestions and propositions in improving the whole CEDAW work process in Fiji so that organisations in this room will work to ensure that all Fijian women are made aware of all the opportunities available for their development and empowerment. “I’m confident that this forum will be instrumental in generating innovative ideas and approaches to better deliver our services now and to our future generation,” Mrs Vuniwaqa said.
The Ministerial Forum includes the Ministry of Women, Children & Poverty Alleviation, Women Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), (NGOs), and Faith-Based Organisations .