Her seat matters: The case for women in Parliament grows louder

As the doors of Parliament open today, the familiar ritual of the sitting week begins. Presentation of papers, ministerial statements, consideration of Bills and Motions and the occasional sparring moments of debate.

But as we gear up to the general elections, it’s time that we confront a silent truth, the landscape of our national leadership remains invisible to half our population.

For Mereseini Rakuita, leadership has never been about simply occupying a seat; it has been about navigating a landscape that was never designed for her.

Reflecting on her own journey from the legal profession to politics, the experience was troubling.

“I joined the civil service in 1998 in a sector that was male dominated. I learnt very quickly that I had to bring in skills above my degree if I had to make an impact, or to be seen to be visible in that male dominated space.

“That picture has changed over the years in Fiji in the legal profession.

My next career step was into politics, another male dominated space. I’ve often asked myself ... why is it in the political space in Fiji, we haven’t been able to change this – but we’ve been able to bring change in the legal profession.”

Ms Rakuita, the principal strategic lead for Pacific Women and Girls at the Pacific Community (SPC) argued that it’s the standard.

In the legal profession, men or women - one has to pass a Bachelor of Law to progress.

“In politics, it’s about changing mindsets. It’s about discriminatory social norms that exists and are invisible to our eyes, its systemic discrimination that’s invisible to us.”

She also pointed out that the lived experiences of men and women in Fiji are vastly different.

Without women in those seats, these lived experiences are absent from the blueprint of our nation.

Today, as we begin our daily coverage of Parliament week, we will be asking the hard question: How can we increase the number of women in these seats?

About Ms Rakuita:

A qualified lawyer, Ms Rakuita made history as Fiji’s first female State Solicitor and later became the youngest woman elected to Parliament in 2014.

She went on to serve as the first-ever female Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, followed by role as Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.

Her leadership in government was marked by the advancement of gender policies and strengthening of child protection systems.

Feedback: lusiana.tuimaisala@fijisun.com.fj