Vanuatu Media Women Inspired By Fiji

Media representatives from Vanuatu said they hoped to learn from Fiji’s women in media initiative to support female journalists back home who face challenges in a male-dominated society.

Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation human resource officer Stephanie Tebi said Vanuatu had no women’s committee or association for media practitioners.

“After this conference, we hope it will help us support women in media back in Vanuatu where we have a lot of female journalists,” Ms Tebi said yesterday, after attending the Women in Media (WIM Fiji) Fiji press conference.

She said female journalists in Vanuatu struggled to voice their opinions due to the male-dominated nature of their society.

“Coming from a male-dominated background in Vanuatu, males are mostly the ones with power.

“Those are the challenges our female journalists are still going through,” Ms Tebi said.

“It’s really hard for us to give our opinions in such a male-dominated society.”

VBTC commercial manager Sussie Kilman Sewere encouraged young women journalists not to give up despite traditional barriers.

“Push forward, never give up. As my colleague has said back home, it’s a male-dominated kind of industry, and this factors our tradition as well,” Ms Sewere said.

“But it’s about getting women out there, making their voices heard, push hard, push forward, reach for the stars.”

Ms Tebi said they wanted to learn how Fiji and other Pacific countries strengthened support for female journalists.

“What we want to learn is how we can strengthen that, how we can help our female journalists and how we can give them power to talk on behalf of them,” she said.

Both women advised young female journalists that “the sky is the limit” and encouraged them to persist despite challenges.

Ms Sewere added: “Don’t be afraid to get out there, be respectful and aware of how people are being sensitive. And welcome critics, because that’s the only way you can learn and grow.”

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