Know yourself, know why you are in Parliament and be prepared to walk out if what you believe in is no longer part of the party agenda.
This was the advice from former Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation minister Mereseini Rakuita to participants at a femLINKpacific Women in Leadership panel discussion last week in Suva.
“If you’re thinking of going into Parliament, you ask yourself first of all ‘why’ – why are you going into Parliament?” she said. “It’s not about popularity.
“If your motive is to make changes in Fijian society as you know it, do it.
“Also very important – when you get in there – don’t lose that motive.
“Know yourself, know why you are going in there and make sure that in whatever aspect of service you deliver whilst being a national leader, you stick to that.
“If you believe that whatever it is that brought you into Parliament is being questioned and doesn’t fit into the puzzle anymore, be strong enough to walk out.
“Because you can be a parliamentarian today, you can be out of Parliament tomorrow – at the end of the day it’s the person that you are.
“I hope to see more women go into politics in the next election.”
