WUNRN
FemLINKPacific's
rural community media network meetings, consultations and community radio broadcasts have provided a
participatory and interactive process to link rural women's networks with initiatives
such as the Fiji Women’s Forum and other women’s rights groups to also provide
relevant support to enable rural women to engage proactively in process of
democratization.
Enabling Spaces
- Rural Women, Community Media, Advocacy, Empowerment
15 August 2012
Nadi, Fiji Islands
"I want to raise my community's
issues through my submission," said Mohini who had travelled 15 kilometres
to Nadi Town to participate in the monthly meeting of FemLINKPacific's rural
community media network on Women, Peace and Security joining 13 women
leaders who belong to the Nadi Zanana
League, Nakavu Soqosoqo Vakamarama, The Police Wives Club, Trinity Kingdom,
Nawaka Soqosoqo Vakamarama, Narewa Village, Votualevu Kindergarten Mother's
Club, Nadi Women's Council, Namotomoto Village Women's Club, Navakai
Multiracial Women's Club and Saunaka Village women's club.
Representing a collective membership
of 324 diverse rural women they have documented and shared a series of
priorities they would like to be accounted for in the work of the Constitution
Commission.
"We don't want to be
silenced," said Yasmin of Wailoaloa as the women reaffirmed that whether
it is about access to information and parliamentary processes, addressing river
pollution, sanitation and drainage systems, the contribution to the
agricultural sector, it is all about transforming existing decision making and
governance structures to ensure gender equality and access to decision making
structures from parliament to local government as well as district and
divisional level committees.
The women leaders will now work at
club level to help their members develop more submissions to present to the
Constitution Commission - even if it means delivering it in Suva!
Since 2007 FemLINKPacific's rural
community media network
meetings, consultations and community radio broadcasts have provided a
participatory and interactive process to link rural women's networks with initiatives
such as the Fiji Women’s Forum and other women’s rights groups to also provide
relevant support to enable rural women to engage proactively in process of
democratization, including Constitution submissions.
The activity is part of the Fiji activities of
the Regional Women’s Media and Policy Network on UN Security Council Resolution
1325 and undertaken with support from the European Union, UNDP – Strengthening
Capacities for Peace and Development Project, the Generation Next project
supported by the International Women’s Development Agency and in collaboration
with the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement.
For
more information please contact: Sharon Bhagwan Rolls (+679) 9244871 E: sharon@femlinkpacific.org.fj
http://www.femlinkpacific.org.fj/