More than even before, technology has given women hope to make choices and shape their own lives. One local woman whose life has been empowered by technology is Chanel Helena Joan Rukulawe.
The 22-year-old woman is the second eldest of eight siblings.
Her father is from Nasegai, Kadavu with maternal links to Wallis and Futuna while her mother hails from Yawasa-i-Rara. Ms Rukulawe grew up in a big family.
They made her enjoy life and weather hardships along the way. From a tender age, She was always interested in electronics.
“It all started with my dad,” she said. He was a technician and his work sparked an interest in the young Ms Rukulawe.
“So I dreamed of doing something that was similar to what he did.”
“I decided to work around the resources that I was most familiar with, taking a closer look at how fast our society was moving, so I decided to try out network engineering.”
“I studied at the Fiji National University but I took a break from school due to a few setbacks. I decided to work and gain experience before continuing studies and it’s been great so far.”
Ms Rukulawe enjoys the competition and pressure of working in a male dominated field. She gets motivated by the fact that she is breaking boundaries for the sake of other women.
“Being a young female in a male dominated field is quite a challenge yet it has an amazing feel to it.”
“I spent most of my childhood days with my dad and brothers so it’s easy for me to adapt to the rough environment.”
This familial experience made her realise that women could also do what men do. All they needed was to believe in themselves and have home support. According to this fierce young woman, family backing was important because the presence of loved ones made the adversities of life more conquerable.
“My family is the best because even when they’re harsh on me, they’ll always be there to pick me up when I fall, with no questions asked but just words of encouragement and unwavering support.”
An advice that helps Ms Rukulawe go through the thick and thin of life is “to not forget God when the going gets tough and to mind one’s own business”.
