Gender stigmatisation, existing traditional status quo and culture limit Fijian women’s access to leadership spaces.
This was revealed in a study by the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM), with the support of the UN Women and the Spotlight Initiative titled “Perceptions Study of Leadership in Fiji” that was launched last week.
FWRM director Nalini Singh said the highlight of the study was the unravelling of the limitations Fijian women had.
“The key findings of the research highlight that gender stigmatisation (41 per cent), existing traditional status quo and culture (34 per cent) were the main reasons that limits a woman’s chance of becoming a leader,” Ms Singh said.
“About 53 per cent of the survey respondents agreed that culture influences leadership styles and perceptions in Fiji.
“The study showed that 35 per cent of the survey respondents felt that support from loved ones is important and may increase a woman’s chance of becoming a leader.”
She said need to address women’s barriers to leadership are of key importance as leadership begins at an early age and continues to be expressed across many areas of a woman’s life.
International human rights lawyer and FWRM co-founder Imrana Jalal said women suffered from a confidence gender gap resulting in the reluctance to proactively seek leadership.
“Investing in building women’s confidence and leadership at the various levels of the pipeline that feeds national leadership is critical — whether that is at the level of community, local council, non-government organisations (NGOs), public administration or corporate and SOE boards, is critical,” she said.
“This is where women sharpen their political skills, and build their confidence.”
FWRM said the study was conducted on the views of 906 Fijians across the country of which 80 per cent were females aged between 24 and 41.
