Association of USP Staff Women’s Wing and FWCC demand PM to withdraw comments and to apologise

The Association of the USP Staff Women’s Wing and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre are calling for Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama to retract his comments made about the appointment of Doctor Rajni Chand and to apologise to her however Bainimarama had earlier said that his comments are not misogynistic as he is only questioning why the position was not advertised externally.

The Women’s Wing Chair, Rosalia Fatiaki says they congratulate Dr. Rajni Chand for smashing the glass ceiling as she has worked hard and has been recognized for her achievements including the Teaching Excellence Award at USP by Professor Rajesh Chandra and being a recipient of the Fiji 50th Anniversary medal awarded by President Jioji Konrote.

Fatiaki says they demand that the Prime Minister withdraws his comments and issues a public apology to USP Director for the Centre of Flexible Learning, Doctor Rajni Chand.

She says the Women’s Wing is dismayed by the Prime Minister’s attack on Doctor Chand on her appointment in his efforts to justify the link between NFP Leader, Professor Biman Prasad and the deportation of Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

Fatiaki says an initial thought passed through the minds of women and supportive males on how the Prime Minister’s comments of a woman who has smashed the glass ceiling contribute to advancing the Gender Equality Agenda.

She says Doctor Rajni Chand is a qualified academic who has earned the respect of her colleagues, staff and students in Fiji and the region.

Fatiaki further says that applying due process, Doctor Chand was found suitable by a Committee of individuals well-versed with the needs of the university in the area of flexible learning.

The Women’s Wing says to make unfounded allegations against a woman staff member who got the job on merit is appalling of a national leader.

Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Centre Coordinator Shamima Ali says it is appalled at the Prime Minister’s uncalled for and misogynistic attack on one of USP’s renowned and award-winning academic Dr Rajni Chand.

Ali says in a statement that the actions of the Prime Minister at home is different from what he passionately talks about in his high level engagements on the world stage.

She asks whether the Prime Minister is targeting Doctor Chand just because she happens to be the wife of the Leader of an opposition political party.

Ali says the Prime Minister himself launched the National Action Plan for Prevention of Violence Against Women, a Constitutional process decrying discrimination against women and amplifying Fiji’s commitment to international standards and conventions on gender equality and human rights of women and girls. Ali says our Constitution and the Bill of Rights attest to this.

The Women’s Crisis Centre Coordinator says to preserve the respect, authority and wisdom of the Office of the Prime Minister, as well as safeguard and genuinely promote human rights and empowerment of women, Voreqe Bainimarama should fully retract his statement and offer an apology to Doctor Chand and the women of Fiji.

Ali also says USP is a regionally acclaimed institution whose students have become men and women of international repute through their service to the nation as well as in their respective field of expertise, nurtured by the very finest of academics over the decades.

She says Doctor Rajni Chand and her husband, Professor Biman Prasad happen to be two of the many who have helped shape the future of our students.

Ali says Doctor Chand is a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s prize for Excellence in Teaching, awarded by former VCP Professor Rajesh Chandra in September 2011. She also received the Fiji 50th commemorative medal from President Jioji Konrote in October, last year.

Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says the USP Council needs to do a good clean up at USP.

Bainimarama is also raising the question where does NFP Leader, Professor Biman Prasad bring the issue of the Prime Minister making misogynistic comments when he is raising the issue about the appointment process.

The Prime Minister has called on Professor Biman Prasad to help in combatting corruption at USP and to ask his wife, Doctor Rajni Chand to resign from the post of Director for the Centre of Flexible Learning.

When contacted by fijivillage, the NFP Leader says this is cheap politics and he does not determine who gets appointed and how they get appointed at USP. Prasad says it is childish of Bainimarama to attack him for something he is not responsible for when the Prime Minister should know that the university policy is not determined by Prasad.