“Women are not given the opportunity to participate or speak in a meeting,” said Varanisese Maisamoa, President of the Rakiraki Market Vendors Association (MVA).
Maisamoa, who attended femLINK’s Rakiraki district convening last month, said even though women were present at meetings, “they will not be given the opportunity to speak, to raise their voice or raise the issues in that meeting.”
“During village meeting men can be given the opportunity to fully participate but not us women,” she said.
“Women can be sitting in the back, in the kitchen preparing food or whatever but as long as they are there, if they are thought to be present, they are not really participating.”
Eta Tuvuki of the Burenitu Soqosoqo Vakamarama (SSVM) said the current dynamics made women feel insecure.
“Men think that they should have the full power and control over us to participate in any gatherings or meetings at all levels. [Because of this] we don’t really feel secure,” she said.
“Even though we’re part of the village coming down to this we’re not really there.”
Ana Kulaniloga, who is also a member of the Rakiraki MVA, shared her experiences of being discouraged from speaking at village meetings.
“Once, I said that I’m going to take up something in the village meeting and then somebody just told me, ‘you’re not allowed to speak there.’ I said, ‘why? I’m a villager of this village. I’m a member of this village. Why am I not allowed to speak?’”
She said her outspokenness is seen as her being “naughty” or “being proud” and she is looked down on for that.
“They have a different way of seeing me because they say I’m naughty and want to speak up in a village meeting? But we consider that as our right to speak up there but not by the community at large,” Kulaniloga explained.
“It’s their mindset that’s affecting what the women are going through in the community.”
Fane Boseiwaqa, femLINK’s convenor for the Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki districts said, “Without women’s equal access to and participation in development processes from the district and tikina level gender inclusive development will not happen and we will continue to hear the call for improvement in rural infrastructure.”
Members of the Rakiraki Rural Women Leaders Community Media Network (RWLCMN) say there must be more participation from across all governance levels, “not just talking about it but working on that – the government and all other relevant authorities to see that there is more participation of women from the village level especially.”