‘Women farmers produce 191,007 tonnes of cane’
A TOTAL of 2156 registered women cane growers produced 191,007 tonnes of cane and this was 12 per cent of the total cane produced last year.
This data was shared by Reshmi Kumari, the Sugar Ministry director policy, planning and research at the Sugar Cane Growers Fund International Women’s Day celebrations in Lautoka.
Ms Kumari said the sugar industry was proud to declare its emphatic approach in supporting and empowering women.
“Women are employed in respective sugar institutions and have also taken up leadership roles in departments and work units.
“We also have one woman represented in boards of respective sugar institutions, government ministries and agencies under the industry, although, sadly women is under-represented in leadership roles.
“We have women in the sugar industry who are working in areas of digital, technology and information system, in the mills, ladies who are chemists in laboratories, scientific research officers not forgetting those involved in daily administration.”
Ms Kumari said this year’s theme was fitting and set a new dimension of focus for the industry.
She explained to female industry stakeholders that widening and technology gender
Trucks line up outside the Lautoka sugar mill.
gap was an area the industry must commit on to address and this should become the priority on the agenda of driving the industry forward.
“I entreat everyone here including the sugar industry as a whole to work together and dissipate such act of using technology to drive the immoral motive against women including gender-based violence.
“We need to work together to ensure maximum benefits is generated to women of the sugar industry from advancement in digitation and technology progress.
“We need to work together in protecting women of the sugar industry from negative implications of digitalisation and advancement of the sugar industry.”