$145k to boost group
TO commemorate the International Women’s Day on Wednesday, the British High Commission in Suva signed a funding agreement with an indigenous women’s group, the Soqosoqo Vakamarama.
The $145,000 grant will help move the organisation forward.
British High Commissioner to Fiji Dr Brian Jones said the money would help the organisation meet the legal requirements as an organisation in Fiji to register and act within the law.
“They needed a little bit of support in order to achieve their auditing of accounts and all of that legal process,” Dr Jones said.
“So that’s part one. Part two is that they have very big dreams for the organisation to really support empowering women across the whole of Fiji.
“So we are planning to work with them under this agreement to look at gathering data on what is the actual situation of women across Fiji. What are the barriers that women face to engaging in the economic environments, engaging in politics, engaging in education?
“Once we know what the barriers are, then we, with the Coalition Government and and other organisations, can then work to tackle those barriers directly.
“If you don’t have the data, you don’t know what the barriers are, then a lot of your work can be in vain, because you’re not actually dealing with the real problems.”
He said their goal was to identify what the real problems women have that were blocking their inclusion, and try to formulate policy to support government and support organisations such as the Soqosoqo Vakamarama
to tackle those problems.
Soqosoqo Vakamarama president Adi Finau Tabakaucoro said they were elated to get the assistance.
“We needed this,” she said. “We are the only biggest indigenous organisation in the country and under the law, we were required to give returns to the register of charitable trusts and this fund will help us in providing those returns and be compliant with the law.”