Women Farmer Participation and Its Determinants in Agricultural Training Programmes, for Central Division Fiji

The research is financed by Fiji National University. Grant No. CV 176, Valelelevu, Fiji. Abstract The primary purpose of this paper is to recognise the essential factors that contribute to women farmer involvement in training events which, was used to determine significant independent variables for the five provinces of Central Division Fiji adding to 120 women farmers. The sampling was done in concern with any form of training provided in the agricultural, animal and crop sector alike. Considering the independent variables used to indicate the significant contributing factors influencing women participation in training, Marital status, age, tertiary education, extension services, access to market and the size of owned land played active roles. More interestingly, the variables that played insignificant influencers were the number of family members in the farmer household and the reason for farming. A logit analysis was used to display the results of significant and insignificant determining variables. Thus, the overall understanding of these variables through this study carried out in Fiji can lead to better decision making in regards to training programmes for women farmers and consequently producing positive agricultural development in Fiji which can become an efficient tool for agricultural ministry. Moreover, better agricultural policies for women farmers can be adopted based on their determinants to agricultural involvement. Keywords: Training programmes, women farm, participation, agriculture, gender and Fiji. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/57-03 Publication date:March 31st 202

Current and Future Implications of the Coups for Women in Fiji

The impact on women of the two military coups in Fiji is the focus of this paper. Essentially, the coups have simultaneously generated new problems for women while reinforcing the existing economic, ideological, and polit-ical conditions that sustained and reproduced women's unequal position in Fiji society. Undoubtedly, the coups have had profound effects on women-some blatant and obvious, others more subtle. As a direct result of the coups, women's economic position has wors-ened, their political activity has suffered a major setback, and they are confronted by increased violence and additional constraints on their phys-ical and social space. Any gains women had made in the previous decade are fast disappearing, and prospects for future advancement are severely threatened. The heightened political momentum of the women's move-ment immediately prior to the coup has been disrupted and is suffering from an increased workload for the leaders as well as the constraints of operating in a repressive political climate. In this paper I explore some of the obvious and not-so-obvious ramifi-cations of the coups for women in Fiji. To illustrate the various implica-tions, the paper is divided into three sections: the economic impact, the social impact, and the impact on the women's movement. Where appropriate, the different impacts on ethnic Fijian and Indo-Fijian women are highlighted, but in general my comments apply to most women in Fiji. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON WOMEN In the postcoup period, Fiji suffered major economic decline as the direct result of the coups. The downturn in the economy has created immens

Reading between the lines : is news media in Fiji supporting or challenging gender stereotypes? : a frame analysis of local news media coverage of violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign of 2017

Violence against women is recognised as a global public health issue and an obstacle to development, as ending it is inextricably linked with achieving gender equality. The public relies on and believes in the capacity of news media to present them with a ‘true’ picture of reality and the news media are therefore treated as valuable allies in changing the norms, beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate violence against women. In the production and consumption of news, however, journalists employ frames to condense complex events into interesting and appealing news reports, in turn influencing how audiences view particular events, activities and issues, especially when it comes to attributing blame and responsibility. This study employs a frame analysis to identify whether, and to what extent, episodic or thematic framing is used in news articles on violence against women published in the Fiji Sun and Fiji Times during and around the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign of 2017. It showed that episodic framing was overwhelmingly used in the sample, thereby divorcing the violence from its social roots and encouraging audiences to blame the individuals involved, both for the violence itself and for remedying it. This directly contradicts the campaign’s central principles positioning violence against women as a social and development issue that requires every member of society to play a part in ending it. The results, therefore, suggest that changes are needed in how organisations engage with the news media to ensure that coverage of violence against women improves in both quantity and quality

Indo-Fijian women as subversive bodies in Fiji’s sporting arena : an arts-based study

Whilst other sporting stories of women from the Global North and Black vs. White binary are well known, the local (Fijian) context (privileged Brown native vs. marginalised Brown (Indo-Fijian) settlers), is not. In Fiji, physicality is highly racialised and gendered, and Indo-Fijian women are most invisible in Fiji’s sporting arenas. Thus, the following research questions shape my dissertation: How do Indo-Fijian women perceive and make meaning about their physicality and gender in sport; How do local and global social constructs of gender impact young Indo-Fijian women’s sports participation in Fiji; How the attitudes, barriers/challenges, pleasures, and histories of resistance and opportunities of Indo-Fijian girls/women, influence their sports participation in Fiji, and how equitable, inclusive/exclusive and in/effective are Fiji schools’ Physical Education (PE) lessons in understanding, aiding and responding to Indo-Fijian girls’ cultural needs and perceptions of physical activity and sports? I have collected empirical data using arts-based methods, and drawn upon critical, intersectional and poststructuralist theories to study the sporting experiences of young Indo-Fijian women in Fiji. These theories and methods illuminated the multifaceted nuances that impact their sporting participation. The main findings challenge the previous stereotypes of Indo-Fijian women – lacking physicality and interest and being difficult to engage in sports. The findings disclose that athletic Indo-Fijian women disrupt the Fijian gender, racial and class orders by consistently exercising their sporting agency, and also actively negotiating PE and physical activity opportunities by pushing for innovative (team) sports despite their requests failing to penetrate the racial, gendered and orthodox perceptions of (PE) teachers and rigid practices within the legitimised curriculum. The dissertation provides suggestions for policy makers and relevant Fijian stakeholders such as schools, tertiary institutions, PE teachers/sports coaches and parents in valuing and acting on the requests and passions of Indo-Fijian women. It also emphasises the urgent need for inclusive and innovative pathways for girls and women in Fiji’s sporting arenas, thus fulfilling the country’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Fiji: Where’s the data?

A recently-concluded meeting of the Women in Fisheries Network-Fiji calls for sex-disaggregated data on the participation of women in the fisheries sector

Electing women to Parliament: Fiji and the alternative vote electoral system

In many places in the world, women struggle to be heard and, when it comes to having a voice in the highest authority in the land, the difficulties in some countries can be almost insurmountable. Women in Fiji are confronting the problem of women’s representation in Parliament. With only a small number of women (7.04 percent) in the House of Representatives, what changes could the citizens of Fiji make to remedy this lack of female representation? One answer that could be considered is for Fijian lawmakers to make amendments to the alternative vote electoral system, a variation on preferential voting. The alternative vote falls into the same simple plurality category as first-past-the-post, a system notoriously unfriendly to women candidates

Working with boys and men for a change : lessons from Fiji : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Developmental Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Male involvement in sexual and reproductive health and anti-violence interventions are two of the more common entry points in working with men to achieve gender equality. The most promising interventions are those that challenge gender norms, questioning men's views of themselves and stimulating their interest about gender equality in different ways. Although most interventions inevitably alter gender norms in an effort to change the behaviour of project recipients, if not executed in a gender-sensitive fashion, these interventions may exacerbate rather than alleviate existing inequalities. One important issue therefore is when, and to what extent, programming involving men should compromise on feminist goals. The Men as Partners pilot programme and Women's Crisis Centre in Fiji worked with similar groups of men in two distinct ways. The former adopted a locally and culturally appropriate style of addressing men about gender issues and sexual and reproductive health, and the latter took a more radical, feminist, 'rights' stance in workshops with men regarding violence. Through consultation with project participants, family members, project staff, and affiliated NGOs, the research raises questions and discusses the implications for on-going work with men in the field of gender and development. It draws some conclusions about the extent to which each intervention contributed to the transformation of attitudes among men towards equality, and emphasises the need for new 'men in development' strategies to be unapologetically feminist in their focus

Fiji Country Profile

[From Introduction] This country study for Fiji is part of the ILO project \u27Employment of People with Disabilities – the Impact of Legislation\u27 which aims to enhance the capacity of national governments in selected countries of Asia and East Africa to implement effective legislation concerning the employment of people with disabilities. Starting with a systematic examination of laws in place to promote employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities in selected countries of Asia and the Pacific (Australia, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Japan, India,Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Thailand), the project sets out to examine the operation of such legislation, identify the implementation mechanisms in place and suggest improvements Technical assistance is provided to selected national governments in implementing necessary improvements. The country study outlines the main provisions of the laws in place in Fiji concerning the employment of people with disabilities. A brief review of the implementation of the legislation is also provided, insofar as this was possible, based on a survey of documentary sources, a study by an in-country consultant and feedback from Fijian delegates to a Project Consultation held in Bangkok, 17 January 2003. It may be read in conjunction with the regional overview prepared for this Consultation \u27Employment of People with Disabilities – the Impact of Legislation (Asia and the Pacific). Project Consultation Report, Bangkok 17 January\u27, ILO 2003

Fiji: women in fisheries network

Through need based training and capacity development, the Fiji based Women in Fisheries Network hopes to aid women’s value-added participation in the fisheries sector

Project vital: Community revitalization industry report

ViTAL (Vitality Through Active Living) FIJIAN PROJECT The ViTAL project aims to aid in the reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through investment in the health and well-being of women by increasing the level of participation in physical activity (PA) and health eating across the community. Women are agents of change in families, communities and countries. The ViTAL program aims to support, other community-based programs such as community gardens, healthy cooking classes, healthy cookbooks, walking groups and other ongoing physical activity programs