An innovative approach to developing future women leaders

Creating an enabling environment for young women to take the lead in driving their collective advocacy action plan in relation to the changes they want to see in their campuses and individual networks is the basis of a new partnership between the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) and the Fiji National University (FNU).

Young Feminist Rise Project: Young Women Lead Initiative, a two-year programme funded by the Fiji Women’s Fund aims to use transformative change principles to build agency and the capacities of a generation of diverse young feminists, advocates, and leaders in their own right

FWRM plans to hold a series of workshops at campuses across the country to raise awareness and promote women’s empowerment. So far over 40 young women students from FNU have participated in three Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) workshops carried out at the FNU campuses in Nasinu, Natabua, and Labasa. The two-day workshop focused on creating safe spaces for young women to dialogue, promote mentorship, intergenerational learning opportunities and awareness, and promote dialogue and action from a feminist and human rights standpoint.

“The Fiji Women’s Fund is quite excited to be supporting this innovative project that focuses on building agency of young women in universities such as the Fiji National University to enable them to organise brave and safe spaces for discussions and approaches to shift and transform patriarchal norms and behaviours,” said Michelle Reddy, Fund Manager.

FWRM plans to establish Young Women Lead clubs on three different campuses (North, West, and Central) to be affiliated under the campus student body. The clubs will be exclusively lead by diverse young women within the respective campuses to campaign, represent, advocate and implement action plans on issues affecting young women.