THE Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley has highlighted the need for media leaders to adopt compassionate and inclusive workplace policies that recognise the unique challenges faced by women in the industry.
Speaking at the Women in Media (WiM) Conference held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Wesley stressed the importance of understanding the personal and professional pressures many women in media faced daily.
“It’s having to appreciate that for us as leaders, having to appreciate that they’ll need time,” Wesley said. “They’ll need time to be there for their children.
“There may be unforeseen circumstances that will cloud their judgment at work, that will affect the impact on the work front, that will also have a direct impact on how they deliver in terms of productivity.
“And at The Fiji Times, we’re trying our best to appreciate that.”
He acknowledged these pressures could affect productivity and decision-making, but urged leaders to respond with empathy and provide structural support.
“I realise that there are still challenges that we have to effectively put in place. But there are also processes that we have put in place, which include personal counselling, for instance, when women have problems and all that.
“I think as leaders in the industry, it’s something that we need to understand. We need to appreciate, and we need to put policies in place that are conducive to a healthy working environment for our women.”
