The International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated globally on March 8 and the Fijian Government through the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation is working together with Non-Government Organisations to host national celebrations this year.
Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation Dr Jiko Luveni says that IWD is an opportunity to draw attention to the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms requires:
1. Intensive promotion of gender equality and
2. Empowerment of women, to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.
3. It is an occasion to review how far women have progressed in their struggle for equality, peace and development.
On a greater note she said IWD was the gateway to unite, network and mobilise for a meaningful change for gender equality and socioeconomic growth in the country.
She said the International theme for this year, “Equal access to education, training and science and technology, pathway to decent work for women ” is also the national theme and emphasis will be on adapting the theme to women’s empowerment programmes as articulated in the Women’s Plan of Action 2010 to 2019, mainly for rural women who do not have access to basic services.
The theme is taken from this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 55TH Session in New York.
Dr Luveni said the main objective of this year’s IWD was to strengthen the partnership with educational institutions, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders in campaigning this year’s theme that women had the right t0 education and access to training, science and technology for their development and empowerment.
“It will be an opportunity to enhance our partnership with relevant stakeholders such as educational institutions, United Nations (UN) organisations, NGOs and other relevant partners around Fiji,” Dr Luveni said.
“In this regard the department is looking into educational institutions to partner in celebrating IWD this year with government ministries and this will be done throughout the four divisions.”
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation director Mrs Salote Radrodro revealed that in the Western Division, arrangements were being made with University of Fiji to have a programme to enlighten the women on opportunities available at the university, which they could tap on to up skill themselves.
She said in Northern Division, Nabouwalu had been identified as the centre for IWD celebrations and the ministry capitalize on this international observance to provide relevant trainings and awareness because this would tie up very well with the income projects planned for the economic empowerment of the women in the informal sector.
“In the ministry’s Annual Corporate Plan for 2011, we have targeted to establish 15 poultry projects throughout the divisions and for the Northern Division the target is six poultry projects out of which, two are for Bua,”Mrs Radrodro said.
“We will also bring in group of women, who will be undertaking this poultry project, to come to Nabouwalu and facilitate the poultry farming training with the Ministry of Agriculture.
“The training will also benefit potential upcoming women groups that would like to engage in poultry farming for economic benefits.”
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