Minister Premila Kumar attended the club charter ceremony of the Soroptimist International Sugar City Fiji at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka, yesterday (27/03/22).
The Minister said that it was a proud moment for Fiji to witness the commitment and dedication made by these women to serve their community through the establishment of the 9th Soroptimist club in Fiji, joining the 121 other such organisations in the world.
"Soroptimist International is a global movement of women, with more than 3,000 clubs in 126 countries/territories, spread over 5 Federations," said Minister Kumar.
The Minister commended the work of the organisation and thanked them on behalf of the many women and girls they have supported.
"It’s an organisation that empowers women to progress in their professional and personal lives despite the struggles that women normally face."
"It is worth noting that Soroptimist International South West Pacific Fiji works in 6 areas such as education, health, environment, social and economic development, Prevention of violence against women and girls, and international goodwill and understanding - Soroptimists have improved the lives of women and girls through such programmes leading to social and economic empowerment."
The Minister also highlighted the role education plays in the empowerment of women and how the Government has supported this through its initiatives.
"With the provision of free education, we have closed the gap in the access to education by girls. We have seen over the years, the participation of girls in education has been increasing steadily."
The Minister concluded by saying it was a very rare occasion to see a club that includes women from any profession, any age group and with any skillsets, who had in common the willingness and desire to serve, and again acknowledged the hard-working members of the Soroptomist Society for organising the event.