Tabuya encourages Miss Fiji pageant contestants to thrive beyond online violence

The Miss Fiji Pageant 2025 officially opened yesterday at the Suva City Council Chambers with a powerful message for contestants: stay safe online, know your purpose, and use your platform to uplift others.

Minister for Information, Lynda Tabuya, spoke about her own experience with online violence, describing it as one of the most difficult periods of her life.

She told contestants she was “treated like the criminal instead of the victim” and revealed that she even lost her government positions because of it.

She urged the pageant participants to rise above abuse.

“Don’t just survive, thrive,” Ms Tabuya said.

“Be discerning about the information you share online. And when you feel broken or hopeless, go out and serve others. Service shifts your mindset from being a victim to being a survivor.”

Encouraging contestants to know their purpose, Ms Tabuya said her own strength came from serving people, not holding titles.

Focusing on community work, including becoming Kadavu Rugby Union president and winning the Vanua Cup, helped her recover during difficult times.

She also highlighted a planned major policy shift by the Coalition Government, in collaboration with Australia, which would ban social media use for children aged 16 and under.

Consultations will be held before the law is finalised.

The Research Topic Presentations, opened yesterday, featured issues such as online violence, responsible digital use, disability empowerment, community-based tourism, poverty reduction, and crime prevention.

Ms Tabuya expressed her admiration for the depth and confidence shown by participants.

“These topics need to go out to the public. The key to changing the world is education,” she said.

Miss Pacific Islands 2025, Litara Leremia-Allan, also attended the opening. She said her reign had been a journey of promoting cooperation across the region and encouraged contestants to use their platforms wisely.

“You can’t control what others do online, but you can control how you use your voice,” she said.

Ms Leremia-Allan expressed excitement that Fiji will host the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant next year, calling it a chance for the region to celebrate youth leadership and creativity.