Catalog

Pushing Reforms
ADB Review [ January - February 2004 ]

At the forefront of the women’s movement in the Fiji Islands, an NGO lobbies for gender equality and legal reform

By Virisila Buadromo (vbuadromo@adb.org)
Coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement

Traditional, cultural, and religious attitudes among Fiji Islands’ major ethnic groups have a strong patriarchal emphasis. It is widely believed that men are the head of the family and women’s role is primarily confined to serve men and the family. During the last decade, the Fiji Women’s Rights movement (FWRM), a nongovernment organization established in 1986, has been at the forefront of the women’s movement in the Fiji Islands, advocating and lobbying for gender equality and legal reform. Its research, legal advice, advocacy training, and legal literacy programs have helped raise awareness among Fiji Islands’ women and men on women’s rights.

FWRM’s Gender Employment and Economic Rights project has been instrumental in advocating for reforms to existing employment legislation so that it adequately addresses the issues and needs of women workers. Under Fiji Islands’ current laws, women face discrimination, are not protected from sexual harassment, and are not given equal employment opportunities and equal pay for work of equal value.

In November 2002, under an Asian Development Bank (ADB)-financed technical assistance project, FWRM conducted a survey on sexual harassment in the workplace. The survey found that sexual harassment is significant, widespread, and varied in nature; and that offenses are generally multiple. The study revealed that one in three women claimed to have been sexually harassed.

As a response to these findings, FWRM, in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Women, drafted a national sexual harassment policy. This policy is aimed at providing direction to the courts and relevant stakeholders on how to address sexual harassment in the workplace. The Labour Advisory Board, a forum similar to a tripartite forum between employers, unions, and the Government, has agreed that a need exists for a national sexual harassment policy and has mandated the Ministry of Labour to push the FWRM-drafted policy through government channels to ensure its adoption.

EQUAL CHANCE This young woman’s future may be brighter if proposed legislation promoting nondiscrimination is enacted

In 2003, FWRM collaborated with ADB to conduct two sexual harassment workshops for private sector organizations. The first workshop resulted in 9 of the 10 represented companies adopting their own in-house sexual harassment policies and procedures. FWRM is confident the same level of success will be achieved following the second training—and that other companies will follow their lead.

These small steps will hopefully prompt the Government to enact the much-needed Industrial Relations Bill, expected to be passed sometime in 2004. The proposed legislation promotes equality and nondiscrimination between women and men in the workplace and contains provisions for pro-tection against sexual harassment. The legislation is not only about protecting women but also about providing equal opportunities in the workplace. FWRM is actively engaged in lobbying for the passage of the bill. It will hopefully put women and men on an equal footing in access to employment, remuneration, and reconciling work with family responsibilities.

FWRM is working at multiple levels with different stakeholders to promote a fairer, just, equal and democratic society where men and women live and work together to build a better Fiji Islands for all.

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