Rural women are leaders, entrepreneurs, service providers, and their contributions are vital to the well-being of families, communities and economies.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Women, Mereseini Vuniwaqa while opening the Eastern Women’s Capacity Building Workshop.
Vuniwaqa acknowledged the women of the Eastern Division Provinces of Lau, Kadavu, Lomaiviti and Rotuma who travelled days ahead of the National Women’s Expo.
She says that this is proof of their dedication as artisans, entrepreneurs and efforts to provide the best for themselves and their families.
Vuniwaqa stressed the importance in striving to continue to promote women’s economic empowerment and to create an equitable enabling environment for women.
She adds that if we fail to develop and empower half of our country’s population we will continue to deny ourselves the wealth of diverse perspectives and continue to live without the benefit of half of our national wealth.
Vuniwaqa also highlighted that Fiji can no longer let its women suffer in silence while reiterating that violence is one of the most severe, detrimental, and inhumane obstacles in the empowerment of women.
The Minister for Women also challenged the women present to establish support groups that will listen and look out for each other, report violence against women and ask their leaders to address issues.
