FWRM Board Chair Akanisi Nabalarua (right) [Source: Fiji Women's Crisis Centre/Facebook]

The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre have called for reforms to increase women’s participation in politics.

They outlined systemic barriers that limit women’s involvement in the political process.

During its joint oral submissions to the Fiji Law Reform Commission, FWRM Board Chair Akanisi Nabalarua and FWCC Manager Legal Services Miliana Tarai outlined several key recommendations to address these challenges and create a more inclusive political environment.

The submission has garnered widespread support from civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Empower Pacific, Young Women’s Christian

Association, femLINKPacific, Strumphet Alliance Network, Rainbow Pride Foundation, and the Social Empowerment Education Program (SEEP) with more endorsements expected in the coming days.

The main focus of the submission is the need for financial and logistical support to enable women candidates to fully participate in election campaigns.

Alongside this, FWRM and FWCC are advocating for stronger civic education programs that promote voter rights and women’s leadership, as well as addressing societal norms that hinder women’s political engagement.

They also reiterated the need for stronger laws to protect women from violence, harassment, and bullying, particularly in the media and online platforms.

Another critical recommendation is the elimination of gender bias in media reporting on political issues.

The submission urges partnerships between political parties, the government, media companies, and women’s rights organizations to address this bias and ensure that women’s voices are not diminished during elections.

The women NGOs call for mandatory political ethics and gender sensitization training for all political candidates and officeholders, to ensure that inclusivity, democratic leadership and accountability are reinforced across the political system.

While the proposal for 30 percent reserve seats for women in parliament is one of the core recommendations, it is presented as part of a broader push for legal reforms and practical measures to support women at every stage of their political engagement.

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