Balance of Power Executive Director Mereani Rokotuibau made the comments during a two-day National Training of Women Auditors on the Kacivaka Tool being held at the Salvation Army Hall in Savusavu.
The workshop brings together community women leaders, women journalists and male allies to strengthen their ability to assess public service transparency, data integrity and community engagement.
The training is being held as an official side event to the 8th Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Summit in Savusavu.
Rokotuibau says women leaders and journalists are often at the forefront of important conversations in their communities, but questioning those in authority can sometimes be difficult.
She says cultural expectations can lead to questioning being viewed as disrespectful, when in reality it is about identifying issues that need to change.
She says women need to build the confidence to challenge the status quo respectfully and move away from the perception that women challenge authority simply to create conflict.
She says difficult questions should instead be used to identify what is not working and strengthen good governance, transparency and leadership.
Rokotuibau also stressed the importance of accountability among the participants themselves, saying they must first be accountable to themselves, each other and their networks before demanding accountability from others.
She says the two-day training should not end when participants leave the workshop, but should translate into practical action in their respective communities and workplaces.
Fiji Council of Social Services Executive Director Vani Catanasiga says the training forms part of the Women’s Accountability Media Layer Project, a partnership between FCOSS and Women in Media Fiji supported by the Australian Government.
Catanasiga says the project, which will run until June 2027, is a grassroots social accountability initiative aimed at generating evidence on public service delivery and strengthening women’s participation in governance.
She says participants will use the Kacivaka Diagnostic Framework to identify gaps in government data, transparency and service delivery.
She says the evidence gathered will then be combined with community experiences and media stories to support dialogue with government and contribute to public service reform discussions.
Catanasiga says the ultimate aim is to ensure public service reforms remain connected to the realities faced by communities, particularly women in rural and remote areas.
Fijian Media Association (FMA) President and WiM co-founder Rosi Doviverata says the partnership also provides an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between community representatives and newsrooms.
Doviverata says journalists are often among the first responders when covering accidents, climate-related events and other emergencies, and the experiences and challenges they face can affect how stories are reported.
She says it is therefore important to build trust between community workers and journalists so community representatives understand what newsrooms need when bringing issues to their attention.
She says data collected through the Kacivaka Tool will also allow journalists to take community concerns to relevant authorities and ask what action will be taken.
Doviverata says the project also recognises the importance of involving male allies, with male journalists and community representatives participating in the training to better understand the challenges women face.
For Marica Uliavanua Murphy, DCOSS from Ovalau, the training has provided an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other women and take those lessons back to her community.
Murphy says a lack of knowledge and opportunities has contributed to women being left behind in some organisations and community groups.
She says women need to raise their voices from the grassroots level to the national level and is encouraging mothers and young people to become more involved in their communities.
Murphy says Ovalau also faces challenges including school dropouts, teenage pregnancies and a lack of opportunities for young people after they leave school.
She also identified drug use as a growing concern, saying its effects can be seen in families and communities, including conflict among young couples.
The training will conclude tomorrow.
