Lack of women in leadership is a huge issue in Fiji – Kumar

Minister for Education, Premila Kumar says lack of women in leadership is a huge issue in Fiji as only 10% of organisations in the country are headed by women CEOs.

Kumar highlighted this during the International Women’s Day Celebration for the Central Suva Arya Mahila Mandal at DAV Girls College.

She says only 21% of chairpersons and board members of organisations are women and we must ask why this is so.

Kumar also says only 9 women compared to 42 men are in Parliament when about half the population are women.

She also highlighted that the pay disparity between men and women still exists today.

Kumar says if you have a man working as a gardener and a woman working as a maid, you would be paying the man more as you would think that he has been working outside in the sun and pay the woman a little less when in fact she has taken care of the entire house on her own.

She says this needs to stop as this is not right.

Kumar further says both men and women need to change their mindset where women need to be empowered to believe they are equal and capable of achieving more.

The Minister further says women self-doubt and believe they are not capable enough but they should change that mindset as they are capable to do anything.

She also adds that the world cannot be blamed for gender stereotyping as there are some mothers who raise their children differently.

Kumar says some mothers make their daughters do household work while their sons do nothing and this culture continues when sons marry and they expect their daughter-in-laws to continue do work for their sons.