Observers to examine barriers facing women
She said this would include identifying tensions that could re-emerge during the election period and assessing how they were managed.
Saturday 19 September 2026 | 08:30
The Citizen Observers Group (COG) will examine more than the transparency and credibility of the electoral process, with inclusion, women’s participation and community tensions also coming under scrutiny.
Pacific Centre for Peacebuilding executive director Florence Swamy said the organisation would observe the election through a peacebuilding and human security lens.
She said this would include identifying tensions that could re-emerge during the election period and assessing how they were managed.
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“Who is part of the process, who is excluded, but also peace and conflict issues,” she said.
Ms Swamy said the group would also assess whether women were able to participate meaningfully in the electoral process.
“Are spaces being created which are safe and also where women, when they participate, their contributions are taken into consideration.”
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement executive director Nalini Singh said the COG had agreed to observe the election through a gender lens.
She said women experienced the electoral process differently depending on their circumstances.
“Intersectionality must be built in into the process that we are working on,” she said.
Ms Singh said observers would consider the experiences of young women, women with disabilities, rural women and women from marginalised communities.
The group will also examine barriers faced by women both as voters and candidates.
