Lynda Tabuya pErFECt fit For WomEn, CHIlDrEn AnD PovErty AllEvIAtIon
New Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Lynda Tabuya, is a perfect fit for the ministry. While she has had her share of highs and lows in her steady climb to a ministerial appointment, she has flown the women’s flag in her political activism with pride and dignity.
When the final results of the December 14 election were tallied, Ms Tabuya had scored the fourth highest number of votes of 11,965, below Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum on third place with 22,524 votes, Sitiveni Rabuka on second place with 77,748 votes and Voreqe Bainimarama scoring the highest at the top with 136,829 votes.
The only other woman closest to her was Lenora Qereqeretabua in 12th place, with 3741 votes. Ms Tabuya and Ms Qereqeretabua are emerging as the top two in the new crop of women who will carry the baton for women into the future.
Ms Tabuya deserves her appointment, not only because of the number of votes she bagged but also her service to the ordinary people, particularly women, children, the vulnerable like the elderly, the physically and mentally challenged, the poor and destitute. Even after she resigned from SODELPA and Parliament, she continued that service.
She used social media to her advantage, highlighting the plight of the needy and what she was doing to help using her own funds.
Her humanitarian work has earned her a following that would be the envy of other politicians who barely made it to Parliament or even failed.
She had close brushes with the law enforcement on her political activities, but they did not stop her or silence her.
She has now cemented her place in our political landscape at a time when women’s participation in national politics has stagnated. The new Speaker to Parliament, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, alluded to this when he addressed the House after his election. He is right.
We need more women in the forefront of national politics because they bring with them new perspectives and a new dimension to addressing our national challenges.
Ms Tabuya has kept the flame burning strong. Her charisma, energy and compassion have contributed to her successful election campaign. Droves of women and young people in the Nasinu corridor between Suva and Nausori followed her passionately.
Her simple, person to person relationships with the people made her popular. She sat with them, listened to their stories and helped wherever she could. That approach resonated well with them. When rival politicians criticised her, her fans brushed away the criticisms.
Using the same strategy, she should have no problem lifting the morale and performance of her ministry. Top priority would have to be domestic violence and abuse of women and children. It’s a problem that we need to address immediately.
In fact, it is a national shame and the sooner we can significantly reduce it, the better it is for all of us. The collateral damage caused by domestic violence cannot be quantified in terms of the emotional and physical trauma that leaves lasting scars on victims’ lives. The second big challenge is to empower women to participate in the mainstream of the economy. We are banking on Ms Tabuya to make a difference.
NEMANI DELAIBATIKI
Feedback: nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj