Many women who stay at home as housewives or stay-at-home mothers, face a stigma that they aren’t actively contributing to society or to their family’s income.

Maria Doton, the Ba Women’s Forum President, said empowering women to use the skills they already had in the home or helping them develop new ones changed this mind-set.

The women who participate in the forum’s training centre serve as an example of this.

The forum which offers classes in computer-use, cooking, baking, sewing, weaving and handicrafts.

“There is a change of mind-set for them,” said Ms Doton.

“They always think they are ‘just housewives’ and they aren’t valued because they’re ‘just housewives.’

“Now their mind-sets are changed because they think that they are now productive and can contribute to their family’s financially well-being and to society.”

She said most of the forum’s students were either stay-at-home mums or are retired and that the experience of earning a livelihood was empowering for them.

“They are more confident because they have their own source of income that is separate from their husbands,” Ms Doton added.

Once the women have made their own products, the forum helps them market and sell them, such as by assisting them to attend the 2019 Fiji National Women’s Expo.

She invited any women who were interested learn to contact the forum, especially since they currently need greater interest for the classes they are offering.

“As long as they have an interest to gain skills for themselves, they are always welcome,” she said.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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