Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka and Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya are yet to comment on the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre raising concerns over Tabuya’s removal from the post of Leader of Government Business in Parliament and replaced by the Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Public Works and Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau.
FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali says Tabuya is also the Deputy Party Leader of the People’s Alliance, receiving votes second to the Prime Minister, the woman with the highest votes in the 2018 and 2022 general elections and in the last election, she was fourth in the number of votes overall.
Ali says she was also the Opposition Whip in the last parliament until she resigned as a SODELPA MP to join the People’s Alliance Party, and she holds a Bachelor of Law and Master of Law.
She says Tabuya has achieved much more than many men in parliament have achieved.
The Coordinator adds that Tabuya is an all-rounder from beauty contests to being a fashionista with a huge following amongst the youth, academically qualified, and some even may call her a non-conformist – and maybe this is her downfall.
Ali says the society demands that women conform to the patriarchal norms, and when they don’t, the powers that be ensure they are erased.
She says they have advanced too far in their quest for their rightful place everywhere to be erased. She also says the Government has a sound gender policy, a National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls, policies on Women’s Economic Empowerment and a policy to promote Women’s Political Leadership.
Ali adds they all lament the lack of women in parliament, and yet the Prime Minister chose to remove an accomplished female MP from an important leadership role.
The FWCC Coordinator says they would also like to remind those in parliament that more women than men voted in the last election despite the now repealed name change law, and the number of female voters will keep increasing. Ali says they want the Prime Minister to outline the reasons why Tabuya was removed, and they remind him that though he is the ‘captain’ of the ship (Fiji), he does not own the ship.
She adds the people own the ship, and the crew and captain were voted in by the people, so they are accountable to the people, and they demand an answer.
The Coordinator says lest the government forget, the women were the loudest and the most courageous in demanding democracy, human rights for all and the rule of law throughout our recent history, so give women the respect, and that is theirs by right.
Ali calls on the Government to stop trying to erase them as they are watching.
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