Members of the Diplomatic Co,
Representatives of International Organizations and Development Partners,
Representatives of Women’s Organizations and the Civil Society Organizations,
Senior Government Officials,
Distinguished Guests,
Representatives of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
A very good morning to you all and a very Happy International Women’s Day to all of us.
Thank you Honorable Minister for the warm welcome and I thank you for inviting me to join you in celebrating our Fijian women.
It is my pleasure to address everyone this morning and especially at a time that we are moving away from the belief that International Women’s Day is only for the women to celebrate and talk about. Indeed, this crucial day calls on making women’s rights real, but it is a day for all of us, every single one of us, to pause, review, and renew our pledges and responsibilities in making this world, and in making our beloved nation a better place for all women and girls.
I wished all of us a happy international women’s day because it is for us to be reminded of what we have done and all that we have yet to do for the betterment of our women and girls – and remember that this was never a fight for just women, but always a fight for humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, today, as we gather to celebrate International Women’s Day, we are reminded of the importance of investing in women to accelerate progress. I stand before you with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to advocating for the rights and empowerment of women nation-wide. Let us have a look at what women endure even in 2024.
Our women are still largely responsible of taking care of their homes and families. They work long hours doing unpaid labor, and even longer hours while working outside their homes and coming back to working at home again.
Our women are still victims of domestic and intimate partner violence; women and girls are still victims of sex crimes; and the statistics are not just alarming, but shameful!
Our women and girls still lag behind in STEM education and professions.
Our women though graduating in equal numbers as men from tertiary institutes still aren’t getting the same leadership support and opportunities.
Our women leaders at all levels remain much lower in numbers than men – and the challenges that women leaders and aspiring women leaders face is far more complex than what their male counterparts face.
Our women’s economic participation and gender wage gap remains lower than men.
Our women’s health and wellbeing remain far from best because of their lack of access and autonomy;
Our women contribute so much to agriculture and continue to be largely responsible for food security and yet remain unrecognized.
Our women remain at the forefront of every crisis but have the last participation in the decision making processes and representation in developing and implementing mitigation strategies and policies.
These are just some of the harsh realities lived by our women and though it is not all, I hope it is enough to tell us yet again that we still have a lot to do in empowering our women and achieving gender equality.
On this International Women’s Day, I want all of you to know that Fiji is on their side. I am on your side. The Coalition Government is on your side, and we all want Fiji to finally become a nation of equal opportunities for men and women. And I know we are not there yet. I know that the playing field is not level yet. I know that women must work twice as hard to get the same salary, the same recognition or the same leadership position as their male colleagues. I know the obstacles and the prejudices.
We honor the lives of women lost to the unequal power relations which should have never happened. We honor the feminists who made sure ‘women’s equal rights’ was an agenda at the most important of tables and those feminists who continue to carry the baton. We honor the women who despite unequal treatment at so many levels continue to be the heroes that they are, daily. And because we honor them – it is only valid that we honor them the right way – by making gender equality a reality.
There are many who are committed to turn the tables and on this International Women’s Day we thank all stakeholders, development partners, foreign missions, non-government organizations, civil society, religious organizations, community-based organizations and male advocates for their commitment towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in Fiji.
Yet, despite the progress we have made, women and girls continue to face formidable barriers that impede their full participation and contribution to society. Discrimination, violence, unequal access to education and healthcare, and limited economic opportunities persist, holding back entire generations from reaching their potential.
Ladies and gentlemen, the strength of a woman has been undermined by our patriarchal society for centuries but despite that, we have had exemplary women breaking barriers since the beginning of time. Not looking far, we have here with us 254 exemplary women of the Central Division who battle their daily challenges and have overcome them to enhance their economic participation and earn a livelihood through their skills and traditional knowledge in crafts.
I congratulate the Ministry for Women, Children and Social Protection for organizing the Central Division Women’s Expo which started yesterday and using the same opportunity to commemorate International Women’s Day by celebrating these 254 women artisans who also represent every Fijian woman out there.
The Fiji Government is fully committed to achieving sustainable development for all and our policies and programs have been largely motivated by this vision. Investing in women is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity for achieving sustainable development and prosperity for all.
When we invest in women, we invest in families, communities, and nations. We unleash the full potential of half of our population, driving economic growth, fostering social cohesion, and advancing human rights.
Having said that, I must mention how the Fiji Government is currently strengthening institutions across Government to make women visible and included in all sectors. The National Gender Policy of 2014 provides a framework for including gender perspectives in all activities of government and civil society, thereby promoting the full and equal participation of men and women in the development process.
It upholds that development strategies are more equitable when they consider the different needs, constraints, opportunities and priorities of men and women. Work is now underway to conduct a gap analysis of the National Gender Policy to better it.
The Fiji Government is strongly committed to achieving gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in Fiji, as indicated through the ratification of numerous laws, policies, conventions, and frameworks.
As part of the Government reforms under the Public Financial Management Improvement Plan (PFMIP), the Fiji Government has taken active steps to implement Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) in Fiji, which has been approved by Cabinet Decision and supported by the Gender Transformative Institutional Capacity Development Initiative (ICD) led by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection (MWCSP).
ICD is rolled out across government institutions to establish the necessary capacities for ministries to undertake gender responsive planning and budgeting. The Overall Goal of ICD is to create an enabling environment to ensure integration of ALL women and girls’ needs interests, concerns, contributions and perspectives into policies, strategies, programs, and budgets.
The National Women’s Machinery is not only involved in the gender transformative institutional strengthening across Government, but also provides grants to women’s NGOs for institutional strengthening that will promote women’s economic empowerment.
Women’s economic empowerment includes women’s ability to participate equally in existing markets, their access to and control over productive resources, access to decent work, control over their own time, lives and bodies, and increased voice, agency and meaningful participation in economic decision-making at all levels from the household to institutions.
Today, therefore, it my absolute honor to announce the development and adoption of a whole of government Women’s Economic Empowerment National Action Plan (WEE-NAP) with investment and focus on gender-responsive budgeting across all sectors. I am pleased to inform that Cabinet has approved the development of the WEE-NAP last month and the National Women’s Machinery aims to have this plan ready before the end of this year.
The key elements of the Fiji WEE NAP (2024 – 2029) could include policy and legal frameworks, education and training, access to financial resources, challenging social norms and attitudes, prevention of gender based violence, technology and innovation, access to infrastructure, access to insurance, recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid work and unpaid care work, visibility, collective voice, and representation of women as leaders and decision-makers, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender responsive climate disaster mitigation and risk reduction.
On behalf of the Fiji Government, I wish the National Women’s Machinery the very best and we hope that come next International Women’s Day, the WEE-NAP will be all set for roll-out.
Ladies and gentlemen, investing in women is not just the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do. Studies have shown that countries with greater gender equality have higher economic growth and better social outcomes. By investing in women, we unlock their potential as drivers of innovation, productivity, and resilience.
On this International Women’s Day, let us recommit ourselves to investing in women and girls, to accelerate progress towards a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for all. Together, let us build a future where every woman and girl can fulfill her dreams and contribute her talents to the betterment of society. Government needs your help. We need our partners, community leaders and each and every individual to help create that balance for a better future for all Fijians.
I believe a woman is a seed that grows a nation. Life begins with a woman; she is the tree of life. She must be glorified, she must be honored, she must be awarded, and she must be appreciated and events like these that bring us together to pronounce our commitment towards striving for a Fiji that celebrates and enhances womanhood.
I also challenge every Fijian woman to embark on a journey of self-discovery, which will define you as women and shape you to be the person you are meant to be. So, get in touch with your true self and become the best version of yourself.
Before I take my seat, I have saved the best for last. I want to express my gratitude to the woman who has been my pillar of strength. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Ruci, I thank God for your life and all that you’ve done for me.
With these words once again, I wish you all a very Happy international women’s day and present to all the 254 women artisans present here a little token of memory and commemoration of the 2024 International Women’s Day.
God bless Fiji.
Vinaka Vakalevu.