Discrimination against women journalists normalised in Fiji - Baselala

Discrimination against women journalists in Fiji has become normalised by many, leaving journalists silenced as they continue their work.

This has been highlighted by a Fiji Media Association executive member and a former journalist, Elenoa Baselala during a discussion on Gender Equality in the Pacific, organized by Women in Media in partnership with the Australian High Commission.

Baselala says women journalists face daily attacks and are often unable to express their opinions on social media due to restrictive rules and policies governing their work.

She questioned what the Fiji Media Association and Women in Media could do to address this attitude and better protect their members, who themselves are victims of these issues every day.

While responding to Baselala’s, Principal Strategic Lead—Women and Girls at the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of CEDAW, Mereseini Rakuita says as the Fiji Law Reform Commission is currently conducting consultations across the country, this presents a valuable opportunity for Fiji Media Association to submit their concerns and report on the matter in detail.

Rakuita says it is vital for journalists to relate their reports on these issues to real experiences on the ground.

She also highlighted journalists often report on legal consultations as an abstract but they need to link these stories to everyday realities so that the public can better understand them.