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Women make up 90 percent of the beneficiaries of Fiji’s small and microfinance scheme, acting Minister for Women Dr Neil Sharma has told International Women’s Day celebrations in Suva.
Sharma said government has mandated the Reserve Bank of Fiji to hold national consultations with finance and microfinance stakeholders “with the objective of receiving constructive outcomes”.
He said that part of efforts to achieve 30 percent representation of women on all boards and committees at the community level, more than 300 women are now members of hospital boards “introducing them to sitting at decision-making bodies”.
“Women are also represented in all spheres of the civil service. Fiji continues to value the significant contribution and the role of our women serving in UN peace keeping missions abroad. In addition there are plans to address women representation in parliament in future,” said Sharma.
He said that in advancing women’s issues in education, government had put in place policies providing equal opportunities for both boys and girls at all levels to give them equal access to education and scholarships for tertiary institutions.
Other measures are free tuition up to the twelfth year of education, payment of daily transport to school for children whose parents earn below $15,000, the provision of free textbooks to cover all primary school children by year 2012 and the supply of vitamins and iron tablets to school children.
