DON’T JUDGE US, SAYS MINISTER FOR WOMEN
Education Minister joins morning march in Ba to mark event, says women are often judged and it’s ‘time to let that go’.
Do not judge us for our dress, but for the content that we have and what we can deliver.
This was the statement delivered by the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Rosy Akbar after she officiated as chief guest for the morning march around Ba Town yesterday to commemorate International Women’s Day.
The march was organised by Soroptimist International Ba (SI Ba). Ms Akbar joined the women of the SI Ba Club, including outsiders and even men in the march in advocacy to acknowledge the many women in Fiji and around the world.
Ba is also the first town in Fiji to kick-start the celebrations for International Women’s Day. Ms Akbar said women faced many challenges and also struggled to find a place in society, especially for women in leadership. “We are always looked at as a woman and not as a leader; what we wear, what we say, where we go, things are always under scrutiny and I think it is time to let that go,” she said.
“Don’t judge us for our dress, don’t judge us for being a woman, see the content that we have and see what we deliver and that is one of the barriers that we have to break and we can do it through these children.
“Let us teach our children to rise above discrimination and all these things that are going on within the society.
“If we teach our boys and girls about equality at home, believe me, we wouldn’t be marching across towns and cities saying we want equality, I don’t see a reason why we have to fight for equality because we are equal.”
Ms Akbar added that women in leadership, including herself, also failed at times being a mother to their children because of their commitment to their roles.
“The best role model could be your mother. I always give my credit to my mother for everything I have today I give credit to my mother and that is what I aspire to be for my two kids, but I fail because I am always out of the house serving others. I use this platform today to say sorry to my two kids for not giving them the time that they expect from me as a mother but then I have 245,000 children to look after and that is what leadership is all about,” she added.