THERE are rising social and economic inequalities and uneven development between the Capital City and the rural areas.
This was one of the issues highlighted during the Fiji Women Defending The Commons meeting held in Suva on Wednesday.
Event facilitator Noelene Nabulivou said these inequalities included between elites and poor people, expatriates and locals, between the numbers of women and men in local and national formal decision making spaces.
“These include the overall lack of resources to take forward localised strategies and solutions by and for women and all the people of Fiji,” Ms Nabulivou said.
“We want to work with the Fiji Government and all stakeholders to change this and we have ideas and strategies on how this can be done.”
She added one urgent issue identified by the women present at the meeting included women from five divisions asking for a provision of women-owned and run boats.
“This is in order to ensure both emergency and economic focused activities have adequate, gender just access to transport,” she said.
“There is an urgent need for training and education opportunities, including full scholarships for women from urban poor, rural and maritime communities.
“Another urgent call from the room is on extractive industries, sand mining and river erosion. Then there is a call for enforcement of relevant Acts, adequate policy, adequate consultations, resources and solidarity including legal resources.”
