[Source: Parliament of Fiji / Facebook]

The Parliament has revived the Women’s Mock Parliament with the aim to encourage the involvement of women in leadership.

58 women are part of the three-day women’s mock parliament, with 56 Members of Parliament, a Secretary General, and a Speaker of Parliament.

In her address at the opening of the Women’s Mock Parliament today, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lenora Qereqeretabua says the platform provides an opportunity for women to build their capacity to participate in democratic processes in their communities.

“This event is all part of our efforts to achieve gender equality and promote women’s empowerment. It will also help to break down barriers and provide you with the skills and knowledge that you need to make a meaningful impact in politics and in governance.”

Qereqeretabua says the initiative aims to empower women who aspire to be politicians in order to increase the number of female members of parliament.

The women’s mock parliament will run from today until Wednesday.

It has been facilitated by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji and supported by the New Zealand MFAT, the Government of Japan, and the Australian AID.