Member of Parliament Premila Kumar highlighted this during the launch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Fiji Group Booklet at Grand Pacific Hotel.
Responding to a question from former MP Salote Radrodro on how Fiji can encourage more women to enter politics, Kumar says a survey carried out during her time as Minister for Education found many women wanted leadership roles but chose not to apply.
She says many women were concerned about balancing family responsibilities and caring for their children, while others feared losing their jobs if they entered politics but were not elected.
Insert:Kumar on women
Kumar says political parties should consider setting targets for the number of women candidates they endorse and provide mentoring to encourage more women to enter politics.
She says although women make up a large proportion of university graduates, that success is still not reflected in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Filimoni Jitoko says political parties should also consider providing financial support to women candidates, as campaign costs can be a major barrier to entering politics.
