The Northern Division hosted 789 members of the Fiji Girl Guides Association from across the five divisions as part of its ongoing 100-day Girl Guides Centennial National Celebration.

Board Chair Sera Saladuadua says that it has been a national camp of celebration, empowering, motivation, and learning activities about how girls and women can best address social issues that impacted them the most.

Yesterday, afternoon the girl guides association took to the street of Labasa town, voicing their concerns and urgency of being protected from the current social issues including child negligence, drug abuse, trafficking and rape.

“So not only do we deal with social issues but environmental issues as well, and at the same time, we get the girls to voice out their voice as young as they are to say no to rape, and that is why we’d like to march so that we are seen and that girls voices should be seen as well. Not just the adult voices, not just women’s voices or mothers’ voices or the men; they should be catered for as well.”

She adds that the association also pushes for inclusivity in addressing issues in communities with the inclusion of all ethnic groups and even those with disabilities.

Northern Division Girl Guides Commissioner Sese Matarugu adds that it is such a privilege to host young girls from across the country, especially at a time when Fiji is dealing with a lot of social issues and it’s time for them to also be included in voicing out their concerns.

Meanwhile, the next celebration will be hosted by the central division, then by the western division, before the final 20-day celebration will be held in the southern division.