Editorial: Breaking the Bias – Celebrating Their Stories And Bringing Hope For A More Inclusive Tomorrow

Maraia Salusaludrau is a familiar face as you enter and exit the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.

She is a security porter at the iconic hotel.

Her warm and welcoming smile exudes the hospitality and service Fiji is known for.

This gesture is sure to leave a lasting impression for regular, short-term, and long-term visitors alike.

Behind this bubbly iTaukei woman, a story of struggle, courage, endurance, and zeal makes this woman of worth.

And yesterday, the hotel management put her under the spotlight to advocate and support International Women’s Day campaign themed – Breaking the Bias.

At 40, a single mother and a widow, Ms Salusaludrau’s story mirrors that of countless more women surviving and coping with the everyday  challenges at work and in life.

Moreover, it mirrors the changing work mindset from that of her job, usually male-dominated, to a more inclusive one.

She attributes a strong family support system and a conducive and inclusive working environment that keeps her going.

While society usually forgets stories of women as such, the hotel management reminded us that it is these women’s stories that are equally worth telling just as women making strides at the top.

And with the campaign theme #BreakingTheBias, the international and local community on social media was yesterday filled with people crossing their arms to strike an ‘X’ pose showing solidarity.

With that, the theme for this year; gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’ was amplified with continued calls for action to advance gender equality.

But recognising women for their everyday contribution shouldn’t be limited to a one-day global celebration, it should be recognised all-year-round.

Whether you’re a woman/girl:

- In a village, fishing to sell and sustain her family;

- Working in the deepest part of the mine;

- Saving a life on the operating table;

- Taking that courageous step to lodge a complaint against her oppressor saying, “enough is enough”;

- Making an executive decision at a board meeting;

- In court or Parliament fighting for women’s rights to be heard;

- Trying to finish where you left off in studies because you put your family ahead of your career; and

- A man who identifies himself as a woman or a transgender just wanting to belong, All these and more call for celebration every day.

And lest we forget, we also remember the women and girls on the frontline fighting for their country’s freedom. The ones who have perished and those who are still fighting – may your voices count.

Feedback: ranobab@fijisun.com.fj