The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms the Fiji Government’s commitment to advancing women’s participation and leadership across all levels of the nation’s foreign service — both at headquarters and in diplomatic missions abroad.
Over recent years, the recruitment of women into Fiji’s Foreign Service has increased substantially, reflecting the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to ensure gender equity and inclusion. Currently, women make up approximately 43 percent of the Ministry’s workforce, serving in key leadership roles and professional positions both in Suva and abroad.
The Ministry’s transparent and merit-based recruitment processes ensure that qualified and capable women are considered on equal footing for roles within the foreign service. This inclusive recruitment approach promotes gender equality, fairness, and opportunity in all appointments and postings.
For the first time in Fiji’s history, the top leadership hierarchy of the Ministry includes women leaders:
· The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs,
· The Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and
· The Chief of Protocol, who for the first time is a woman — marking another historic milestone for Fijian diplomacy.
The Ministry also celebrates the achievements of women who continue to break new ground in diplomacy and security:
· Colonel Siliva Vananalagi, Fiji’s first female Military and Police Advisor to the United Nations, successfully completed her two year term in New York recently;
· Ms Keleni Seruvatu currently serves as Deputy Permanent Representative at Fiji’s Permanent Mission in Geneva;
· Ms Laite Ratuvuki currently Counsellor posted to the Fiji High Commission in Canberra;
Every Fijian diplomatic mission now includes at least one female officer, serving in roles such as First Secretary or Second Secretary. Total female officers serving in the missions is 16 and 35 at HQ.
The Ministry remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring greater representation of women as Heads of Mission and in senior diplomatic appointments. As part of this long-term vision, the Ministry is developing a structured career pathway that enables experienced and trained staff — including many women — to progress into ambassadorial and leadership positions.
This pathway is being strengthened through the establishment of the Fijian Institute for Diplomatic Training, now housed in Nasese, which will serve as the cornerstone for building a professional cadre of career diplomats equipped with the skills, discipline, and global perspective required for high-level representation.
Guided by Fiji’s Foreign Policy and the National Development Plan, the Ministry places women’s empowerment and gender equality at the heart of every initiative. This commitment is reflected in an inclusive, gender-balanced workforce that provides fair and unbiased opportunities for both women and men based on merit.