Women in Macuata have called on the Government to provide direct and sustained support to women whose gardens, shoreline food sources, fishing areas and small businesses are being affected by soil and coastal erosion, flooding and saltwater intrusion.
This was raised by Jane Naulu, a member of the Soqosoqo ni Vakamarama iTaukei Macuata, during the Fijian Media Association’s Pre-COP31 Climate Change Town Hall at Nukubalavu Village in Savusavu.
Naulu raised four key issues concerning women, including food and livelihood security, reliable water and sanitation, women’s participation in budget decisions, and the safety, health and dignity of women and girls during climate-related recovery and displacement.
She asked what direct support will be provided to women whose livelihoods are being affected by climate change, and what funded plan will ensure safe water, resilient storage, sanitation and maintenance support for climate-affected coastal and displaced communities.
Naulu also questioned how the Government will guarantee women’s equal and meaningful representation in disaster recovery, relocation and climate adaptation, including access to information and oversight of budgets.
She further asked what ongoing services and funding will protect women and girls in displaced and remote communities, including safe shelter design, lighting, healthcare, menstrual hygiene supplies, psychological support and gender-based violence response.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica highlighted the small business and agriculture sectors, giving an example of collaboration with British American Tobacco to build a greenhouse further down the coast in Naqiqi Village in Savusavu.
He says the greenhouse provides vegetable seedlings and, according to British American Tobacco, is the most successful model it has developed.
He says the next step in discussions with British American Tobacco is to help Naqiqi use those seedlings and start producing vegetables for the village and for sale in the marketplace, particularly in Savusavu.
On women’s representation, Kamikamica says the Ministry of Women had been a major advocate for women’s representation and advocacy in Government, and that this was starting to filter through into the budgeting process.
INSERT: Kamikamica on advocacy 22nd Sept
On water, he says the Ministry of Lands had been drilling boreholes around the country to provide access to clean drinking water.
He says another avenue was the Water Authority of Fiji’s plans to continue expanding water reticulation into rural areas.
Meanwhile, Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu stressed that people still did not fully understand what programmes were available after the National Budget was announced.
Bulitavu says the media had an important role to play in highlighting the Budget and making the public aware of where assistance was available, how to access funding and what the requirements were.
He says these programmes are available through the Ministry of Agriculture, with some women already receiving assistance through women in agriculture programmes.
Bulitavu also highlighted programmes addressing saltwater intrusion, including floodgate programmes and assistance with repairs.
He says the Ministry also had programmes complementing the Water Authority of Fiji’s work in water sanitation and water reticulation.
He invited the representative of the women from Macuata to meet immediately after the town hall, saying they could link up with the Divisional Planning Officer for the Northern Division, and address the issues.
