A volleyball programme for women sounds simple enough, but to achieve success in a patriarchal society is no mean feat and it has won the Fiji Volleyball Federation international recognition.
It’s a programme that aims to empower women and reduce health risks through participation in sport – in this case volleyball.
Developed in partnership with the Fiji Volleyball Federation, Volleyball Australia and Australian Aid the programme’s success has garnered international attention with a prestigious Beyond Sport Award.
The international Beyond Sport organisation rewards the best projects from around the world which use sport as a platform for positive change. Fiji Volleyball Federation (FVF) was nominated for its work addressing gender equality and domestic violence through sport in Fiji. It was short-listed alongside the International Tennis Federation, the USA’s National Hockey League and National Rugby League, Australia.
Semaima Lagilagi, who has been the programme manager of the Pacific Volleyball Partnership since it started, was in London to accept the Beyond Sport award. She says an international award was something they didn’t expect but it proves that hard work does pay off.
“I would like to acknowledge the Australian Government for the commitment towards the many partnership programmes through sports in Fiji and the Pacific,” she said. There is still more to be done in the communities for women and girls – this award will surely motivate the Federation and the programme to continue with the great work.”
Lagilagi believes removing barriers to female sports participation is all about education in rural communities.
“Like most of the Pacific island nations Fiji is a patriarchal society,” she said.
“Women didn’t have the support from their husbands to participate in sports… there was traditional roles.”
Research conducted by Fiji Volleyball in 2014 revealed that women and girls are under-represented in many critical spaces including sports.
Lagilagi says a key ingredient to changing this and gaining the community’s support was the engagement of a male advocate to be the face and the voice of the programme.
“The elders and men hold a lot of power and influence in the villages,” she said.
“A series of consultation and discussions is very important and contributed to the success of implementing the activities in the villages.”
Educating the men on the crucial role women play in the society and the importance of their health has changed attitudes in the communities.
In response to the research, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) facilitated a gender and sport workshop in 2014 attended by 54 village headmen from the province of Rewa. The workshop discussed issues around women’s health and the importance of women’s participation in sports/physical activity.