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Women in Fiji are most vulnerable to poverty as they are the ones mainly looking after their families, says Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy (ECREA) program advisor Father Kevin Barr.
“We seriously need to consider women whether they are in employment or those who single-handedly manage households,” he told FijiLive.
Barr said the majority of the 40 percent living in poverty in Fiji were women
“We have women working in garment factories or as cashiers who are obviously underpaid yet are working full time.”
Father Barr said employers should consider women in employment as they play a major role in society.
President of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama, Adi Finau Tabakaucoro said at yesterday’s International Women’s day celebrations that despite the nation’s progress in education, women in Fiji do not have an advantage over men in employment.
She urged the government to address this issue due to the important role women played in society.
“We cannot allow a bulk of our workforce proportion to be gender-biased.
“Women also spend many hours doing unpaid work and this is a challenge we need to address and the Ministry of Women needs to be more vigilant with.”
