FWRM disappointed women’s representation measures left out of electoral bills

The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) says it is “disappointed” that temporary special measures (TSM) to boost women’s representation in Parliament were left out of the three electoral bills currently before the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights.

FWRM executive director Nalini Singh made the submission yesterday on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill, the Electoral (Registration of Voters) Amendment Bill, and the Political Parties Amendment Bill.

“The women of Fiji are very disappointed to not being heard again,” Ms Singh said.

She said women’s groups had raised the issue “for over a decade,” but “none of it made it into this round” of amendments.

Ms Singh said women MPs now make up just nine per cent of Parliament, down from 11 per cent in 2022 and 19.6 per cent in 2018.

“We’ve actually dramatically gone down to nine per cent now. I don’t think that’s good enough in this day and age,” she said.

She proposed reserved seats as a fix.

“It will increase the number of women in Parliament immediately,” she said, adding this was not discrimination under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Assistant Minister Sachida Nand pushed back, noting no law bars women from contesting or being voted for.Opposition MP Jone Usamate asked if TSM without constitutional change would be legal. Ms Singh said yes.

FWRM also flagged that 74 to 80 per cent of unpaid care work falls on women, limiting their time and funds to enter politics.

Other key points raised:

• FWRM wants safeguards, not distance rules, around the reduced 100-metre campaign boundary;
• Opposes lifting the 48-hour media blackout, citing gendered online abuse risks;
• Wants the $10,000 donation cap kept to protect women candidates’ equal footing and
• Raised concerns over rushed timelines ahead of the next election