The empowerment of Fijian women was a big step in realising Government’s goal towards helping women learn skills to help them generate income for their families.

The message was relayed to the Ba Women’s Forum yesterday by Mereseini Vuniwaqa, the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.

This is part of Ms Vuniwaqa’s tour of places in all divisions around Viti Levu were women were involved in learning skills to make handicraft.

She also visited the Ba Veilomani Boys Home as part of her tour.

“At the ministry we are always looking at ways to empower women,” Ms Vuniwaqa said.

“It is projects like this that empower women.”

Ms Vuniwaqa said handicrafts as such that were on display, showed there was a market and this would be pursued by her ministry.

“We give our full support to the forum and at the moment I understand you have made a request to the Ministry and I can confirm we will be contributing towards your request.

“I have seen what institutions like these can do for women. Particularly women who are in the outskirts of the main cities and towns.”

She said she saw women at Makoi being empowered with skills which they did not have before.

“With those skills they were able to generate income for their families,” she said.

She made special mention of the President of the Ba Women’s Forum Dr Maria Doton for her work in seeing the centre being established.

Dr Doton said the minister was an inspiration to women for her assistance through her ministry.

“It took four years for this dream to come true,” Dr Doton said in regards to the establishment of the Ba Women’s Forum and the new two storey building they occupied.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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