Women’s achievements
WOMEN are valuable ornaments that just not only need recognition during the International Women's Day (IWD) but throughout their lives. Obviously, everyone is important in their own ways, let it be women or men.
Today is IWD which marks a very valuable day and event for those millions of women all around the world, trying to make a difference both for themselves and the world.
No doubt challenges are thrown down their throats yet most continue their journey without looking back and with full dedication.
IWD is a global event celebrated on March 8, each year.
The purpose of the day is to uphold women's achievements, recognise challenges, and focus greater attention on women's rights and gender. It also celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activities are witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.
In Fiji, there will be many activities held to celebrate the event. I remember that this event has been celebrated in the Northern Division, organised by the Labasa Women's Forum for over 30 years with much fiesta and grandeur.
Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Sashi Kiran, will be the chief guest at this year's program.
IWD is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements, educate and raise awareness for women's equality, call for positive change advancing women, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for female-focused charities.
Everyone, everywhere in the world can play a part in helping forge gender equality.
Some activities that could be undertaken include a wide range of IWD campaigns, events, rallies and lobbying the Coalition Government in Fiji for greater focus on women's issues.
A greater part of the celebration could also include having performances - to festivals, parties, fun runs and celebrations. That's what makes IWD so inclusive worldwide.
When we speak about gender equality, and promoting women's rights, we are not just talking about the interests of women.
The kinds of changes that women have fought for and made, have been improvements not only for women, but for our community as a whole.
When we talk about the progress of women, we are talking about the progress of our community and our beloved nation, Fiji.
In Fiji, many women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, many cases are not reported due to fear of losing jobs and lack of support to the victims.
We have seen an increase in complaints of sexual harassment including the recent high-profile cases including some CEOs. Many of these perpetrators are often able to avoid the justice system or walk their way out of the criminal justice system.
Furthermore, women's retirement savings (FNPF) is less than half of men despite some of the most valuable caring work in the country.
Women are still not paid equally for work of equal value. This gap is compounded by the fact that most workplaces operate with a view that people who are paid more, matter more.
The very existence of the pay gap further marginalises women and is an added burden in Fiji. In some countries not only, women are paid less but they are perceived to be less valuable.
In Fiji, women in decision making roles are still the exception rather than the norm.
Without a critical number of women in our parliament, chief executive offices or boardrooms, women's voices are still absent from the major decisions made in this country.
Many women in Fiji have experienced family or domestic violence.
The gravity of this crime particularly for marginalised women has serious health and mental issues that have a drastic impact not only on families but also on the greater communities.
Remember, each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women. Violent crimes against woman must stop. We need to redouble our efforts to reduce violence against women and their children, in Fiji.
The theme for this year's Women's day is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality" Today, a persistent gender gap in digital access keeps women from unlocking technology's full potential.
Their under-representation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education and careers remains a major barrier to their participation in tech design and governance.
And the pervasive threat of online genderbased violence — coupled with a lack of legal recourse — too often forces them out of the digital spaces they do occupy.
A survey undertaken by the UN shows that:
Women make up only 22 per cent of artificial intelligence workers globally:
A global analysis of 133 AI systems across industries found that 44.2 per cent demonstrate gender bias: and
■ A survey of women journalists from 125 countries found that 73 per cent had suffered online violence in the course of their work.
Women are found in almost every sector of workforce now whereby they get the thrills to get the satisfactions of women's recognitions and appreciations.
Women are also at the forefront of the workforce in Fiji, while many households consist of men being the sole breadwinners, women are moving into all spheres of the workforce.
Women are everywhere and are neither ceasing to show that gender bias is going to pull them down nor that it is needed.
The sacrifice most of our women go through while looking after their homes, children, families, work, education and social life is just admirably ecstatic.
Some of the world's great leaders have been women, like Indira Gandhi, Mother Theresa, the British Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton and others.
In Fiji, women leaders, campaigners and activists like Shamima Ali, Nalini Singh and we have entrepreneurs like Mere Samisoni, Dawn Simpson and others. We have politicians like the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya and others have shown us great heights our women can reach, if they set their minds and work hard towards it.
In Fiji, some women are trying to move out of their comfort zones into politics. In the last elections in Fiji (2022), 55 women fought the election (16 per cent) out of 343 candidates and six women made it to parliament.
"In 2018, 56 women fought the elections which was (24 per cent) of the total number, that brought a record number of women in Parliament, where women held 10 of the 51 seats (20 per cent) while in 2014, 44 women fought the election which was (18 per cent) out of which, eight women were subsequently elected to parliament, meaning that 16 per cent of seats were held by women MPs in the 2014 -2018 term of parliament."
There is a need for more women in parliament in Fiji so that women's issues such as poverty, peace, and security, women's economic empowerment, gender-based violence, issues of adolescent girls can be better represented.
The Coalition Government in Fiji is focussed on issues related to women and improving their quality of life by electing a minister and an assistant minister to look after the interest and welfare of women in Fiji.
The government is expected to allocate sufficient resources to look after the welfare of the women and I am sure sufficient financial resources will also be allocated to projects that enhance the education for women on domestic violence and assistance available, cyber bullying, sexual offences and women's safety and other programs.
It is the woman who builds a home, nurtures a family, provides labour - be it manual work, or a civil service role, a manufacturing hand or a retail shop attended, a domestic house keeper or a mother, a sister, a partner or a spouse – all they want is - the right to live, not to simply exist – the right to life as an equal partner, the right to live a peaceful life, a life free of living in fear, a life free of domestic violence, a life of happiness and love, a life of contentment and satisfaction, a life of cheerfulness and pleasure – is this asking for too much?
Women are the main pillars of a family, they always find ways to fix the loop holes, look after the children and keep the family intact.
A woman is the companion of man gifted with equal mental capacities.
She has the right to participate in the minutest detail of the activities of man, and she has the same right of freedom and liberty as a man.
She is entitled to a supreme place in her own sphere of activity as man is in his.
Remember behind every successful man, there is a hero, a woman.
I'm incredibly optimistic about the next generation of women in Fiji and what they're going to do to achieve and inspire other women and young girls to achieve.
To our young women and girls of today, I say stay confident and strong, remember strong women do not have attitudes but they have standards.
One day, I hope to see a woman as the President or the Prime Minister in Fiji, in the not-too-distant future.
On this day, I plead with you all to stand on shoulders of those who have come before us to create a world where women are equal partners with men in all aspects of economic, social and our political life.
Create a world where women are able to work and have a family life, where women are free to live their lives without fear, without discrimination and without harassment and violence.
Together we can create a world we can all be proud of, to hand down to our grandchildren.
I'd like to wish every woman a very happy International Women's Day.