Following the appointment of Pita Wise as the Permanent Secretary for Public Enterprises, the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and DIVA for Equality Fiji have expressed their deep disappointment and say his appointment is deeply troubling given the previous sexual harassment allegation during Wise’s tenure as Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in 2024.
Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Coordinator, Shamima Ali asks whether the previous allegation has been fully investigated, was the investigation completed following Wise’s resignation, what were the findings, were any recommendations made and were those findings considered before Wise was appointed to another senior position within the public service.
Ali says the public should not be expected to simply accept another senior appointment while these questions remain unanswered.
The women’s groups are particularly concerned about the apparent lack of transparency
surrounding the recruitment and appointment process.
FWRM Executive Director, Nalini Singh says Permanent Secretary positions are among the most senior positions within Fiji’s public service.
Singh says they carry enormous responsibility, authority and influence over public institutions,
public servants and the delivery of government policy.
She says the public has a legitimate interest in knowing how this appointment was made, the criteria applied, who was considered, and whether an open and transparent recruitment process was undertaken.
She reiterates that if Wise was directly selected, the PSC and Government must explain why he was considered suitable for appointment despite the 2024 sexual harassment allegation.
DIVA for Equality Co-Founder, Noelene Nabulivou says this tells women that complaints can disappear into institutional processes.
She says this reminds us of how sexual violence is normalised even at the highest levels of Government.
Nabulivou says this appointment reinforces the dangerous perception that again, people in power can continue to be shielded from the consequences of their own actions.
In 2024, FWRM and FWCC publicly called on the Coalition Government to withdraw Wise’s nomination as Fiji’s Ambassador to Japan.
The NGOs say at the time, they made clear that their concern was not about denying anyone the presumption of innocence, it was about whether the State was taking allegations of sexual harassment seriously, whether appropriate processes had been followed, and whether those processes had resulted in accountability.
They say those questions remain.
Wise subsequently resigned from his position as Permanent Secretary.
The NGOs are asking what happened to the complaint.
The FWRM, FWCC and DIVA for Equality call on the PSC and the Government to demonstrate that its commitment to ending violence and harassment against women is more than just policy language and public statements.
They say if our leaders do nothing, they will continue to foster a culture where sexual harassment and other forms of violence is accepted against all women and girls.
