Make Our Rights to Register and Vote Count – rural women with disabilities.
By: Patrina Agnes Tawake
WITH, thirty (30) diverse women, femLINKpacific launched its first ever Sigatoka rural women convening that was held for two days – Wednesday, 2nd March and ended on Thursday (3rd March) at the Coral Coast, with the theme, “Rural Women Shaping Peace and Recovery Better-Women’s deliberation through perseverance, resilience within COVID19 and other crises”.
Central in the conversations, was the access of rural women to exercise their constitutional right to vote in Fiji’s upcoming general election, including in particular ensuring registration and voting rights for women with disabilities in rural and remote areas.
The Nadroga Navosa Branch for Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation (FDPF) representative, Amelia Bai Kiti mentioned that many persons with disabilities are left at home and do not make it to the polling venues to vote because of their disability and many that arrive at polling venues are the ones that vote because transport is provided.
“Being there and seeing disabled people were at home rather than being at the polling venues makes me emotional because these are the aging group, groups with different impairments such as visual and the various people with disability,” said Kiti.
Kiti further added that “we must reach out to grassroots levels especially people with disability because of poor infrastructure and poor transportation in remote areas. “
“As a person with disabilities of Nadroga, I just want to bring this matter up to PLEASE, the Fijian Elections Office to reach out to villages and communities so that older people and disabled people can vote” says Kiti.
“We Must Make the Vote of Persons with Disabilities, Count,” emphasized Kiti.
femlinkpacific Executive Director, Susan Naisara emphasized the importance of grassroots’ womens groups such as the Sigatoka network of femLINKpacific, to share information and help other women be able to exercise their constitutional right to register and vote and decide for themselves the leaders that they want.
She also outlined the low rates of national representation by women in the Pacific compared to other regions in the world, and the high rates of violence. “Inclusiveness should be a number one priority across all local and community-levels.” It is our responsibility to look out for one another.
Tavaita Valerau who is part of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama in Serua, reiterated that the Election Office was in her village two days ago and they only needed the name that is on your Birth Certificate and not your husbands’ name
Meanwhile feedback from a recent femLINKpacific Regional in Women Leadership Meeting Consultation also revealed that some spouses insisted on having their name to be included to their wife’s name, in any change.
More information on how this could be done and without any necessary fees or expenses, was an issue that emerged.
Women from various backgrounds, clubs and representatives from other networks presented their views on one of femlinkpacific seven (7) pillars which was Political Security with regards to having access to voting.
Information sharing was seen as not consistent at a grassroot-level as questions arises when women started sharing their experiences and concerns when it comes to changing their surname on their voter identification card to either their father’s or husband’s name.
