WHEN women are supported with economic resources and institutional backing, the entire community benefits, says Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran.
She highlighted this while speaking at a panel discussion on Leadership and Gender Equity to Promote Women’s Leadership in the Pacific at the University of the South Pacific (USP) last month.
“That, to me, is the essence of sustainable development,” Ms Kiran said.
“When leadership is inclusive, and when women’s voices shape the future, we build together.”
She said the ministry’s institutional strengthening agenda — through Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) and the Fiji Country Gender Assessment — ensured that women’s leadership was built into systems, not left to chance.
“When leadership is tracked, budgeted for, and measured, it becomes sustainable.”
She said their evolving strategy — combining capacity building, institutional reform, and cross-sector partnerships was designed to tackle barriers systemically.
“The goal is not only to empower individual women, but to make the system itself more gender-responsive and inclusive.
“When we nurture leadership mindsets, not just leadership titles, we create a culture where women’s leadership is recognised everywhere.
“That is the kind of transformation Fiji and the Pacific need for a truly sustainable and equitable future.”
Ms Kiran thanked USP and other partners for advancing the vital research on women’s leadership.
“Fiji’s journey shows that leadership is not a single path, it is a network of opportunities that must be open to all.
“Whether through education, economic empowerment, technical training, or community service, every act of leadership contributes to our collective progress.
“Our ministry’s evolving strategy — combining individual empowerment, institutional reform, and partnerships — reflects a clear truth: when women lead, systems strengthen, and societies endure.”
