Women face various barriers that hinder their participation on political platforms and there is a need to find a pathway to parliament, with targeted training for those interested.
While speaking to fijivillage News, Executive Director of the Fiji Council of Social Services Vani Catanasiga says the two-day discussion has been focused on the barriers within existing laws that prevent women from participating meaningfully in politics.
Catanasiga says they have made some recommendations, along with a presentation outlining the key takeaways from the report for civil society organisations.
She says they have started looking at the societal representatives in the room but that not many are women and it is still a small group.
Catanasiga also highlighted it is becoming clear that there are significant hindrances to women’s participation.
She adds there are suggestions for court assistance, not just temporary special measures at the national level, but also within political party structures.
She adds there are various barriers women face, such as bullying, and another issue being discussed is the legacy of political influence on key public institutions, which discourages women from participating.
