Alarming statistics on gender equality in Fiji has revealed that Fiji has one of the highest rates of violence against women worldwide that cost the economy $300million a year, a loss equivalent to seven per cent of Fiji’s GDP.
Sharing the data with participants at the Women Invigorating the Nation (WIN) 2024 Convention, which kicked off in Suva yesterday, UN resident coordinator Dirk Wagener said “two in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a male intimate partner in their lifetime.”
“When it comes to leadership, only five of Fiji’s 55 MPs are women. This equates to just nine per cent of MPs compared to the global average of 26 per cent, and even that global average is way too low,” Mr Wagener said.
He said women’s participation in the private sector account for only around 20 per cent of directors of boards in Fiji while as chief executive officers, they make up a mere 10 per cent.
“I believe these statistics paint the picture of why this WIN convention is so important.”
Mr Wagener said while in Fiji, girls do better at school than boys, with 97 per cent of girls enrolled successfully completing secondary school compared to 74 per cent of boys, and the dominance continuing to tertiary level, where they account for 60-65 per cent of students and over 50 per cent of graduates, this falls away when it comes to employment and leadership.
“Women account for a little more than one third of Fijians in paid formal employment and earn, on average, one third less than men. Most working Fijian women are engaged in informal employment characterised by a lack of job security, irregular income, and no social protection. This includes three quarters of rural women.”
In the face of barriers and discrimination, he added, “dedicated support for women to start businesses, to run businesses, and indeed, to run the country is critical”.
“This includes the important work of the Women Entrepreneur’s Business Council, the National Forum on Women in Politics and Fiji’s Women’s Fund — to support women to take their rightful place in society, with their contributions valued and recognised.
At the community-level, it includes women’s cooperatives and networks,” Mr Wagener said.
He said in Fiji, research shows that women-led and owned businesses tend to stagnate or shrink after the third year in business.
“Dedicated support services and networks are needed to help women-led businesses to thrive.
The UN is focused on providing such support through programmes like Markets for Change.
The UN is also working with parliament and other institutions to support women’s political leadership and increase participation.”
