Shania Shayal Prasad 
Pacific Island News Association Manager Makereta Komai [2nd from right] at the annual Pacific Media Partnership Conference in Suva
Mentorship remains a powerful force in shaping the next generation of journalists.
For Pacific Island women, mentorship programs are breaking barriers and fostering success in the male-dominated media industry.
This was highlighted during a panel discussion at the annual Pacific Media Partnership Conference in Suva, which explored diversity and inclusion in Pacific media.
Pacific Island News Association Manager Makereta Komai is passionate about mentoring young women in the Pacific.
“Have a joint presentation at the end of that time period that they’re being mentored on what they’ve learned, and then they go back to their newsrooms and then of course share that with their peers and their colleagues.”
Komai adds mentorship goes beyond just providing career advice as it is also about giving mentees the tools they need to overcome challenges.
“It’s allowing these opportunities for women to be able to train in things like that, not just in commentaries, but the women that can be behind the cameras, to be photographers, in work areas that you don’t find a lot of women media workers involved in.”
These mentorship programs are creating a ripple effect across the Pacific, helping women journalists to step into roles of leadership.
