Call for women’s representation

Having women representation in the Great Council of Chiefs is nothing new because the Soqosoqo Vakamarama represented female views and brought their issues to the table in 1965.

Adi Lagamu Baledrokadroka said this while presenting the Soqosoqo Vakamarama i Naitasiri submissions to the GCC Review Committee yesterday.

She said women should be represented in the GCC meetings because no-one could raise issues concerning females and children like a woman.

Ms Baledrokadroka said women should be the third representative of each yasana (province) to the GCC forum.

“Gender balance should be seen in the representation to the GCC meeting,” she said.

“The Fiji Bureau of Statistics census of 2017 showed that women, or females make up 49 per cent of the population in Fiji and this is why we need to be part of the GCC.”

She said women’s participation in the GCC would benefit communities.

“The participation of women is important as they would raise ideas that would support and the chiefs in their leadership roles.

“The ideas they raise could also help solve the issues and problems we face in our villages and province.

“These issues include the segregation (bula biligi), oppression, and gender-based violence that our women and children endure.”