The Fiji Women Lawyers Association is encouraging working women to prioritise their health as it prepares to host its NeWPro Pinktober Event in Nadi on Saturday.
The call comes amid concerns over late breast cancer diagnosis in Fiji, with a study of 86 patients treated at Lautoka Hospital in 2025 finding that 38.3 per cent had stage IV cancer.
Most patients were women in their 50s and 60s, with the largest age group being those aged 51 to 61.
This means that breast cancer is affecting many women during years when they may be contributing substantially to their families, workplaces, and the wider economy.
Association president Patricia Naisara said the initiative would combine breast cancer awareness with an opportunity for women to connect and support one another.
The event will also mark the launch of NeWPro, a network aimed at bringing women professionals together, through a partnership between the Fiji Women Lawyers Association, the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the Female Medical Officers Association.
“As working women, we tend to forget about ourselves, we tend to put everybody else before us,” she said.
Ms Naisara said the initiative also aimed to recognise the person behind every professional role and create a space where women could discuss issues affecting their lives.
“It’s an opportunity to not only raise awareness about something so important and relevant to women, but also to bring women professionals together.”
She said breast cancer awareness remained important to the association because of its work advocating for issues affecting women and vulnerable people.
The Female Medical Officers Association will provide specialist expertise through a guest speaker, while the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants has also joined the collaboration.
The event will be held at the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort on Denarau, with tickets priced at $80.
