Salutations:
Ni Bula Vinaka and Welcome to Fiji
It is a privilege for Fiji to host this important session of the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
This gathering brings together leaders, policymakers, and advocates committed to advancing gender equality across the Pacific and beyond. I extend a warm welcome to the esteemed members of the CEDAW Committee, including its distinguished Chairperson Ms Nahla Haidar. Your dedication to upholding the principles of the Convention is deeply appreciated, and your leadership is invaluable in this global effort.
Fiji is a nation that values the principles of human rights, dignity, and social justice. We recognize the importance of the CEDAW Convention as a guiding framework in our collective journey to eliminate discrimination against women and foster a more inclusive society. Hosting this session is a significant moment for Fiji and the Pacific region, offering an opportunity to address shared challenges and explore durable solutions.
It is in this context that we reaffirm the vision and commitments enshrined in the Revitalized Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration. This Declaration underscores our collective resolve to eliminate barriers to gender equality and to empower women and girls across all areas of life. It challenges us to tackle inequality at its roots, to strengthen regional collaboration, and to ensure that progress is sustained and measurable. This session is a testament to our shared determination to honor those commitments and advance the principles of the Declaration.
This gathering is a call to action for governments, civil society, and regional institutions to work collaboratively toward meaningful progress. It reminds us that our commitments under both the CEDAW Convention and the Declaration must translate into tangible outcomes that enhance the lives of women and girls across the Pacific.
I must acknowledge that women play a very strong role in our cultural context. They are the archives of traditional repository that has held communities together in such remote and maritime islands in the Pacific Ocean. Our mothers and grandmothers have not only been nurturers but also have always contributed to the non-traditional roles of fishing and farming and have pushed barriers over the years. Today they are also qualified aircraft engineers, pilots, in shipping, construction workers, plumbers and electricians among others.
Since the previous reporting period, Fiji has demonstrated noteworthy advancements. The government has concentrated its efforts on enhancing access to justice services, as well as expanding educational and training opportunities for women.
This strategic focus underscores the recognition of the vital role of equipping women with skills and knowledge to excel in the workforce. More women than men are graduating from universities across specialized fields, promising prospects for their future. There has been a significant increase in the participation of women in industries traditionally dominated by men, such as in construction, engineering, military and technology.
The Bill of Rights that was introduced in the 1997 Constitution and retained in the 2013 Constitution, reinforces human rights of all Fijians and strengthens Government’s commitment as a signatory to several human rights treaties, starting with the nine core conventions. These have been lenses that guided the Government’s work on legislative reforms, policies and programs.
Fiji’s National Gender Policy and National Development Plan (NDP) outline a strong commitment to advancing gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. The NDP identifies strategic priorities aimed at fostering women’s economic development, eliminating violence against women, increasing women’s participation in political leadership and national decision-making, and promoting their inclusion in non-traditional sectors.
To support these priorities, Fiji has introduced the Gender Transformative Institutional Capacity Development (ICD) Initiative. This initiative aims to build the capacity of government agencies to integrate the needs, interests, and contributions of women and girls into their policies, strategies, plans and resourcing. Complementing this effort is the Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) initiative, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance. Together, these initiatives establish structures and mechanisms across the government to ensure gender-responsive approaches, including the application of gender analysis within the national budget process.
The Fiji government is committed to strengthening the implementation of the Institutional Capacity Development and Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting initiatives.
In launching the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against all Women and Girls (NAP-PVAWG) in 2023, and for the first time, the Government introduced a Gender-based Violence (GBV) budget line in the national budget. This was allocated to a number of ministries that included the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry for Women, Children and Social Protection.
The forthcoming Fiji Women’s Economic Empowerment National Action Plan (WEE NAP) will serve as a roadmap for advancing tangible outcomes for Fijian women and girls. The vision of WEE NAP is for women and girls to achieve full and equitable economic empowerment, with greater participation, leadership, agency, and access to resources, supported by inclusive policies and a safe, enabling environment.
I acknowledge that Fiji has challenges in implementing some aspects of the Convention. Women continue to face challenges such as the high incidences of gender-based violence including technology facilitated Gender-based Violence (GBV). We are also faced with increasing number of HIV-AIDS and drugs cases. For enforcement and services agencies, this is largely a matter of implementation, tracking, evaluation and learning.
Increasing women’s representation in political and decision-making roles also remains work in progress.
This specific issue makes me wonder at times. As the percentage of women in population is approximately the same as for men, why are women not securing the votes of women? Or more precisely, why aren’t women voting for women?
This brings me to a related issue, that of tokenism. Our aim is to elevate and uphold the dignity of women at the highest level of national governance. Putting in women for the sake of mere numbers, devalues this noble goal.
I am also aware that rights are not exactly value neutral, that they are largely interest driven. Rights come with responsibilities. This is the area where Fiji and our fellow Pacific Family are struggling. The sense of entitlement and demand for rights over what is right for the group, for society, is pushing these small economies to all sorts of challenges.
Further, as you deliberate, it is important not to lose sight of the context of the Pacific, that women and girls exist not in isolation. How might the rights of individuals sit snugly with group rights under UNDRIP? Fiji’s, and almost all the Pacific islands States’ land ownership system is very much a traditional system. We look at ownership, accessibility and exploitation. Our expectation is that your session will inform Pacific specific solutions in these respects.
In some areas, matrilineal systems are the norm. Is it okay to take that right, that authority, from women and have this shared or given over to their male familial relations? I therefore ask our women to be ready to take on community leadership roles that your male family relatives have been shouldering.
Today, Fiji and some Pacific Island neighbours are experiencing the direct consequences of the dismantling of their traditional and social systems. Order and respect in the family and community are fast disappearing. The drug menace and HIV-AIDS situation we’re in is seen as one of the direct results of individual rights over familial, spiritual and communal values. Law enforcement agencies are struggling to cope. Many say that the push for individual rights over group rights, of what is moral and ethical are to blame. Whatever it is, current and emerging situation in our region needs open and honest conversation, and cooperation to solve these.
At the regional level, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, sees the Pacific Way of life as integral to the dignity, security and futures of these islands. In our outlook for the Pacific as the Ocean of Peace, the Pacific Way is fundamental to who we are and how we want the world to see us. We uphold international law, and we call for respect for our sovereignty, and our values.
As you immerse yourselves in the important agendas of your session, please consider how you might contribute to what the Pacific Leaders’ see for this region – a region of peace and prosperity, where the people live dignified and worthwhile lives. We look forward to your wisdom to help uphold the Pacific’s rightful place in the world, where its people, their identity, sovereignty and way of life are valued.
The Pacific islands are young recently independent States. Allowing them to complete their transition and, importantly, assisting them reach maturity is critical to getting there with dignity. This is a fundamental component of the intention of “leaving no one behind.” The evolution of our systems and processes to embracing a state of strategic equilibrium is key to providing the kind of platform to progressing the implementation of human rights goals in our region.
As we celebrate progress, the Fiji government is committed to strengthening and supporting the national women’s machinery in its efforts to progress the whole-of-nation implementation for gender agenda.
In sum, the journey toward gender equality is not entirely a matter for women; it is a shared responsibility, for all of us. It must be weaved into and informed by our governance and traditional systems, spirituality and way of life.
As men, we have a critical role to play in fostering a society where women are treated with the respect, dignity, and fairness that they deserve. We must challenge the harmful stereotypes, denounce violence and discrimination, and actively work to create safe and empowering environments for women.
By standing as allies, we contribute not only to the advancement of women but also to the strengthening of our families, communities, nations and region. Let us lead by example, demonstrating stern commitment and together, build a future that finds its basis in justice for all.
I wish you a productive session and look forward to constructive outcomes that will help shape the way for equitable futures.
Vinaka vakalevu, Dhanyavaad