There is probably going to be an increasingly large component of young people that won’t be turning up to school when classes resume – femLink Pacific

femLink Pacific’s Executive Director, Susan Naisara Grey is calling for urgent action as she says according to their assessment, there is probably going to be an increasingly significant large component of young people that won’t be turning up to school when classes resume for all years.

While speaking during the launch of 16 days of Activism Against Violence Against Women, Grey says they have received feedback from the communities in dialogue sessions in Vanua Levu, and there is a real need to focus on what the young people are going through.

Grey says they have conducted dialogue sessions, gender equality assessments and surveys.

She says the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters have worsened the inequalities on the ground due to job losses and lack of data to access worksheets for students.

Grey says this has seriously affected access to education.

She says they can consistently see these issues across the provinces in Vanua Levu and they will share this with the state.

Grey says a greater assessment is needed to assist the affected students and Education officers need to go on the ground and have a sense on what the communities are going through right now. We have sent questions to the Permanent Secretary for Education, Doctor Anjeela Jokhan.