Women in the Pacific face increased burdens in the climate crisis, including heightened caregiving responsibilities and gender-based violence.
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) executive director Nalini Singh said this while speaking during the Pacific International Media Conference in Suva yesterday.
“In the Pacific, we face more negative effects of climate change because we don’t have access to resources and information that allows us to adapt and respond quickly enough,” she said.
“The climate crisis is also affecting many industries, however, there is little evidence about women entrepreneurs.
“The climate crisis has disproportionately impacted women and will do so in the future, particularly in vulnerable communities and it is evident in media coverage.”
Ms Singh highlighted the gender disparities in the Pacific region, including low labour force participation and unequal distribution of unpaid care work.
She said in the Fiji Country Gender Assessment (FCGA) report that was launched in 2023, statistics showed that it was women who did three-quarters of the unpaid work for their families in the country.
Ms Singh said women in Fiji and the Pacific faced barriers to leadership roles because of societal norms, gender bias, and unpaid care work.
“When we look at women in boards, we are hovering around 21 per cent of board seats, 11 per cent of board chairperson seats have gone to women and 30 per cent of women are chief executive officers,” she said.
“So, we must take the opportunity to harness the diverse perspectives and talents and expertise that bring women to the table.”
She said the media could be an ally to the women’s movement by amplifying women’s voices and challenging gender stereotypes.
