Prominent Suva lawyer Jon Apted has labeled the use of social media in the country as extremely cruel and sexist.

Apted says he believes that social media is the biggest impediment for women wanting to enter leadership spaces in Fiji.

The prominent lawyer highlighted this while speaking at a panel discussion on “Breaking Barriers: Increasing Female Participation in Local Government Elections in Fiji” last night.

[Prominent Suva lawyer Jon Apted]

Apted says social media use in Fiji is destructive, especially towards women, and it affects their participation in leadership spaces.

“Those who use social media, Facebook in particular—Fiji’s most popular platform, you will know of Chat Fiji and the various forms of Chat Fiji that exist and how daily people’s personal, intimate photos of couples lying in bed are put up, people’s pictures are accused of having affairs, and that kind of exposure, which goes unchecked, is a great disincentive for women because suddenly you become a target, both for your rivals and for nasty trolls with nothing better to do,”

Apted says there are laws in place that can hold people accountable for what they post. He stresses the need for investment and public awareness on how to be responsible users of social media.

The Suva lawyer believes there needs to be investment in this area if women are to be empowered for leadership roles at the national level.

Meanwhile, he says that he believes the biggest challenge for anyone who wants to run for local government elections will be to mobilize voters.

Apted says that, unlike the General Election, not many people are aware of the importance of local government elections, and he encourages women who choose to participate to effectively use social media to mobilize voters.