WOMEN in the Central Division were empowered on the issue of gender justice, access to clean drinking water and access to the justice system during International Women's Day celebration in Nausori yesterday.
Fiji's Goodwill Ambassador for Women Nazhat Shameem said the empowerment of women was not just about rape and domestic violence.
"Rape and violence are the tip of a much larger iceberg and that iceberg is about the inability of women to access banks, financial institutions, cultural institutions, schools, universities, jobs and food, water and shelter," Mrs Shameem said.
"Water is an important issue for Fiji, especially for women. Not all families have access to clean drinking water."
She said the scarcity of water affected women and children the most.
"In devising mechanisms to ensure that every person in Fiji and every settlement or village in Fiji has access to clean, adequate drinking water, women of Fiji must be consulted and must be available for consultation."