Women in Media 2025: Pacific journalists unite for change in Suva

Top women journalists, media workers, civil society voices, and regional delegates will meet in Suva tomorrow for the inaugural Women in Media Conference 2025, to share their experiences and push for a more inclusive and supportive media industry in the Pacific.

The two-day event is being held at the Grand Pacific Hotel, bringing together voices from across the Pacific to discuss key issues under the theme “Resilience in a Rapidly Evolving Media Landscape.”

Co-founder of Women in Media and President of the Fijian Media Association, Rosi Doviverata says the conference reflects their mission to empower women in media — both nationally and regionally— by fostering collaboration, mentorship, and support across borders.

She says this will be an empowering session for all media personnel as they hear and learn from some of the most inspiring voices in the Pacific.

Broadcast Corporation of Niue (BCN) multimedia journalist, Esther Pavihi says she is looking forward to discussing the challenges faced by women in media with others from across the Pacific during the conference.

She says one of the key issues currently facing her country is a lack of people willing to work in the media industry.

Pavihi adds that, while in Fiji she has observed a larger number of women working in the industry compared to men — a reflection of the resilience of women who are not just telling stories, but living them.

She says it is also important that men's voices are heard, as the challenges will always exist and require action from both men and women to make the industry a better and more supportive place to work. General Secretary of Fijian Media Association, Stanley Simpson says the event provides a platform to unpack the challenges women face in the newsroom — challenges that are often overlooked.

He says he has seen women who were ahead of their time, who broke barriers, and who were on the front lines — highlighting women journalists who bore the brunt of crackdowns during coups in the country.

He adds there is often an assumption that women in the newsroom are the most powerful, but behind that are layers of vulnerability that are rarely acknowledged, and the conference is a safe space to bring those issues forward.