98.The National Centre for Small and Micro Enterprises development (NCSMED) was established in 1999. The SME policy framework led to the enactment of Small and Micro Enterprises Development Act (2002), under which the National Centre for SME Development was created. Under this Act the centre supports and promotes SMEs especially for the benefit of disadvantaged groups such as women and young people, facilitate the development of an enabling environment for the SMEs, develop training programmes in business management and facilitate access to funds for SMEs. Since 2014, a total of 2,643 women have been supported within Fiji. This support has been in terms of financial literacy trainings, technical trainings, Livelihood Assistance, Government’s Look North Policy and NCSMED Business Incubation Centre Programme (Annex 7).

99.While the State does not provide micro finance options for women as economic empowerment, there are special provisions for Grants from ministries for similar purpose. The Ministry of Industry and Trade provides a $1,000 grant to Small Enterprises as start off capital or running capital for small businesses. Since the grants inception from 2017, the ministry has assisted a total of 7,209 women which equates to 40 per cent of the overall grants composition. From inception, a total of 17,966 recipients have been assisted.

Rural Women

Paragraph 19

Rural Women

100.BRIDGE and leadership Training is provided to rural women in an effort to develop their leadership skills. This is similar to information provided in response to paragraph 13.

101.In terms of access to social justice programmes such as Rights, Empowerment and Cohesion (REACH) which is raising of the social, economic and legal rights enshrined in the Fijian Constitution. The programme provides access to services associated with rights, and strengthens institutional capacity to deliver these services. This mobile service delivery approach is undertaken to reach communities throughout Fiji with the focus to reach the furthest behind first. From September 2015 to November 2017; a total of 11,010 people benefited from the REACH Mobile Awareness raising and service delivery. This includes 5,283 women, 4,987 men and 740 children (Annex 8). The provision of legal services through the Legal Aid Commission is a core component of the REACH programme.

102.Land ownership is for everyone registered under the “Vola ni Kawa Bula” (VKB) [registration of indigenous peoples] — women included. Internal policies for inclusion of female spouses in State Leases granted during the formalization of formal settlements programme in the Ministry of Lands means the protection of female spouses interests in such leases.

103.The Ministry of Health has developed Clinical guidelines for comprehensive case management in response to intimate partner and sexual violence. These guidelines help fill a policy gap within the health system and will support improved training for health professionals. The document has four sections to support frontline service providers and health professionals to respond effectively, consistently, and empathetically to victims, this includes understanding GBV, the role of health systems in responding to GBV, clinical management protocols for intimate partner violence and sexual violence, and referral pathways. The document also provides clear direction for forensic evidence collection to support prosecutions.

Health Services

104.Fiji has a health system with the nursing station level reaching right to the community in most remote areas. There are community health workers in every village and communities in Fiji that are trained to provide basic level of health care and health information and refer women to the nearest health facility or arrange with the area nurse for home visitation. The Family Health Unit in the ministry has also been organizing mobile health outreach services targeting the most remote areas with the focus on women and children however not undermining other health services. Government outreach programmes through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services organizes community visitations to the remote and maritime islands to provide the needed health service to women and members of rural community as a whole.

Lesbian, bisexual, transgender women and intersex (LBTI)

Paragraph 20

LBTI Discrimination

105.s.26(3)(a) of the Fijian Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of, inter alia, sex, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The schools have counselling sessions where children are informed against bullying and other misconduct. The Ministry of Education has not received any complaints in relation to the discrimination of children based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

Boarding School Case

106.No official report has been made to the Ministry of Education or the Fiji Police Force in this regard. No other cases have been reported in this regard.

Indigenous and Minority Women

Paragraph 21

Status of Ethnic Monitory Women

107.Fiji’s total population is estimated at 865, 612, there are two main ethnic groups: iTaukei (indigenous Fijians) who makes up about 57 per cent of the total population and Fijians of Indian descent who account for 37 per cent. Ethnic minority groups such as the Rotumans and Banabans make up a very small fraction of the population. There are also fractions of Chinese, Europeans and other Pacific Islanders who call Fiji home. The Fijian Constitution in particular section 5 (1) gives the right for all Fiji citizens to be called ‘Fijians’. All rights of the ethnic groups are protected in the Fijian Constitution. Section 26 makes specific provision for ‘Right to equality and freedom from discrimination’. This section covers 22 grounds of discrimination where ethnicity is included. Special mention is made here on the States effort to protect the rights of ethnic monitory groups. Section 28 of the Fijian Constitution provides for ‘right of ownership and protection of iTaukei, Rotuman and Banaban Lands’. Noteworthy is the inclusion of Rotuman and Banaban Lands which surely gives the two minority groups a sense of recognition in the country. In area of Employment, the Women’s labour force participation varies by ethnicity: more than half of iTaukei women (53 per cent) are in the labour force, while about one-third of Fijian women of Indian descent (37 per cent) are in employment. The 2010–2011 Employment Unemployment Survey (EUS) data show that women made up 35 per cent of those employed in the informal sector, most being unpaid family workers. Women account for 27 per cent of the overall self-employed across both formal and informal sectors, mainly working in market-oriented agricultural production or fishing, handicrafts, or sales-related jobs. Very few — around 800 women compared with 4,300 men — are self-employed in the formal sector, reflecting the limited participation of women as owners of small businesses. Rural communities in general maintain more traditional gender norms than urban communities, and there are fewer opportunities for rural women to earn their own incomes and engage in activities independent of their families. In urban areas, more liberal gender norms prevail; women also have more opportunities for paid employment, better access to services, more diverse role models, and better access to groups supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment. It is important to note that data in this area are scarce however the Women’s office aims to clear this gap.

Participation in decision making process

108.In relation to indigenous women and distribution of land, land is communally owned by iTaukei people who are registered in the “Vola ni Kawa Bula” or the register of iTaukei Landowners (includes both men and women). When making land available for TLTB to lease out, 60 percent of the members of the communal group need to consent. Records are kept of members of each communal group by the i-Taukei Lands Commission. These cultural registers are maintained and updated by the Commission, and the document used to authenticate the entry or deletion of individuals is done with a certificate from the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Under the laws of Fiji income received by way of lease, however is distributed equally amongst the individuals (irrespective of gender). The Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs encourages the equal participation of all i-Taukei women in the decision making process, and promotes this by calling for all individuals within a community to participate in development issues; with regard to communal arrangements; with the significant role women play in their communities they are encouraged to actively participate in the various trainings that the i-Taukei Affairs Board provides such as the “Leadership, Good Governance and Management Training for Local Level Leaders” including Traditional Leadership Curriculum, with the objective focus on participation in planning but more importantly to prepare them to contribute constructively for development within their communities.

Women with disabilities

Paragraph 22

Measures for removal of barriers for women with disabilities

109.In 2017 Fiji ratified the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (‘CRPD’). With this ratification, Fiji has committed to align all national legislation with the provisions of the CRPD and to progress this further the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill is currently before the Fijian Parliament. In addition to laws, the Fijian Government through Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation has established a Disability Unit with its own budget allocation which will look after measures to ensure that the rights of all children and adults with disabilities is protected, promoted and fulfilled.

110.The aim of Fiji National Disability Policy (2008–2018) is to provide a framework for addressing disability in Fiji and to develop a more ‘inclusive’ society, create greater awareness of the needs of people with disabilities and identify priority areas for action to dismantle barriers hindering the full participation of people with disabilities in the social and economic life of the Fiji Islands. The policy reflects the priorities and views of the people of Fiji from many communities throughout the islands of Fiji.

111.The Disability Bill is currently before the Fijian Parliament. Section 27 (4) highlights the rights of persons with disability and this includes the right to freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse s35 (1)–(3), and the right to education, health, and employment.

112.Under the Constitution and the Disability Bill, persons with disability have the right to work. There has been inclusion of persons with disability in the formal sector through the Employment Relations Promulgation. There is extension of Taxation Scheme for Persons with Disabilities to encourage employment creation and availability of employment opportunities for disabled persons, Government has extended the Employment Taxation Scheme to include employment of disabled people for a period of three years with 300 percent tax deduction.

113.The Equal Opportunity Policy stipulates that all recruitment to and promotion within public service is open to all Fijians regardless of race, religion, gender, marital status, disability, age or sexual orientation.

114.There is a Scholarships Scheme for Children with Special Needs for certificate to Undergraduate Degree level who are enrolled in institutions which include Fiji School of the Blind, Hilton Special School, Gospel School for Deaf and Blind, the Fiji Crippled Society — Lautoka and Fiji Council for Disabled Persons. There is no cut off mark for qualification to be enrolled for the students; however they need to be part of the homes that is listed. Primary education — Special education is given a grant of $3,703,000. Out of this, $1,359,000 is allocated for grants.

115.The Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons (FNCDP). The State party allocates a specific budget every year for operations of the council:

•Government has provided for bus fare subsidy for persons with disabilities and funding to the Fiji Roads Authority to ensure that new roads and footpaths are disability friendly.

•A further grant of $120,000 has been allocated to promote participation of disabled persons in sporting activities. Government has allocated $850,000 in the 2017-2018 national budget to the Frank Hilton Organization, to detect disabilities in very young children and then intervene with appropriate therapies.

Transition from Institutional care to community based social service

116.The reality on the ground is that all our cases in government institutions usually stay for their life span. For children with disabilities there are institutions that are administered by Religious Organizations. They usually remain in care, until old enough to move to other institutions. State Party has allocated $25,000 for scoping work towards establishment of a new centre for psychosocially challenged persons. the Government in 2017-2018 budget has made allocation under its Social Protection Scheme to provide a $90 allowance to persons living with disability based on World Bank recommendation. Government has also allocated a total grant of $1.1m to seven disabled persons Organizations and construction of a disabled centre in Western, Fiji.

Disaster risk reduction and climate change

Paragraph 23

Policies/programmes based on gender analysis

117.The Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP): An Integrated Approach to Address Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (FRDP) provides high level strategic guidance to different stakeholder groups on how to enhance resilience to climate change and disasters, in ways that contribute to and are embedded in sustainable development. The Ministry for Women Children and Poverty Alleviation was able to influence FRDP through the Gender and Social Inclusion Climate Change Officer by working within the system and connecting with Gender lead Government Agency in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. As a result the Protection Pacific Network or ProPa was formed in 2015 as an inter-governmental body that promotes gender equality and protection issues relating to climate change and disasters in the Pacific due to common issues on Gender and Protection within countries. The ProPa Network was able to integrate core principles of protection and gender and social inclusion (GSI) within the regional FRDP. At the national level, ProPa has also been instrumental in assisting the gender and protection clusters to ensure that these function beyond the response phase and support the centrality of gender and protection for preparedness, recovery and resilient development. This regional platform comprises government officials from four founding member countries (Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu). It is working to advance gender and protection issues and ensures that development is both risks informed, inclusive and equitable. It helps stakeholders address the root causes of risk, by unpacking the gender and social dimensions of vulnerability to risks (e.g. land rights, migration and inequalities) and developing capacity to manage these.

118. The National Disaster Management Council established under the National Disaster Management Act 1998 has the overall responsibility for disaster management. The Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Women is a member of the council. The government recognizes women’s contribution in all aspects of disaster management. That includes development of suitable strategies and policies for disaster mitigation and preparedness for training, management and public education in disaster management.

119.The Ministry of National Disaster Management and Meteorological Services has recently launched the National Humanitarian Policy on Disaster Risk Management. The policy aims to proactively engage and support community networks, private sector and groups with vulnerabilities in all aspects of humanitarian action, particularly at the divisional and local levels. Through the Climate Change Department an integrated vulnerability assessment was carried out in communities to have the community perspective on the national climate change policy. Gender analysis was done at national level through relevant Ministries. Training on Disaster Management Plan is being implemented to the community and women are encouraged to be part of the Disaster Management committee (community level) and also provide feedback to the committee on the needs of women. To date, 214 vulnerable communities in Fiji have been trained. Each of these communities has established a Community Disaster Plan and a Community Disaster Management Committee (CDMC). Each is required to have at least one female representative to voice women/children’s issues. The Disaster Management Training also includes issues which deal directly with climate change and how it directly affects women. Such issue includes relocation of villagers and how the Ministry integrates gender inclusion into such project. Gender inclusion into community development plans and issues relating to Domestic Violence, land conflict, child abuse etc. in terms of disaster response.

Participation of women and girls from low-lying coastal areas

120.There are 697 out of 1,193 registered villages in Fiji that are located in low-lying areas in the direct paths of natural disasters. 124 of the 697 villages have undergone disaster training and have established Community Disaster Committees. Each committee comprises of a representative of Women’s group (Soqosoqo Vakamarama) and the village nurse. Throughout the training women and girls are also consulted in the process. Each divisional office through the divisional commissioner chairs relocation taskforce for low lying areas which deals with women who are vulnerable in low-lying areas. The community is reached through the provincial office with consultation with women officers to reach out to women in the vulnerable community. Department for Women through climate adaptation programmes identifies low-lying areas as potential project site for such projects example clean cook stove, solar grandmother project.

Measures against discrimination

121.In order to eliminate any form of discrimination in preparedness and response phase, the following efforts have been made:

•Collation of Sex desegregated data from the respective Provincial Administrators to better guide response efforts post-disaster;

•Code of Conduct during emergency was implemented in all evacuation centres through the assistance of the Fiji Safety and Protection cluster;

•If Domestic Violence was identified by the officer in charge at the evacuation centre then proper referral pathways were made to deal with these issues by involving women officers and welfare officers to take actions;

•The National Disaster Management Council at Permanent Secretary Level consisted of Ministries for Women Permanent Secretary who advocates for gender issues at policy level through the council and is implemented through the National Disaster Management Office.

122.Through the Safety and Protection Cluster which is chaired by PS Women coordinates the implementation of programmes in relation to safety of women during and after disaster in which the Red Cross conducts swimming exercise for vulnerable communities affected by disasters and climate change. The Ministry of Education does have a policy for children to acquire life skills such as swimming; however it is upon the School Administration to facilitate and integrate this in the school activities. There are primary schools that take students for swimming classes.

Humanitarian Response

123.The National Humanitarian Policy states that “each sectoral cluster is led by the Permanent Secretary of an appropriate ministry who will be supported by a cluster secretariat to coordinate humanitarian actors within the sector”. The distribution of dignity and hygiene packs is supervised by the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster (WASH) and during humanitarian and relief operations after Tropical Cyclone Winston. The number of dignity and hygiene packs distributed to evacuation centres depended on the disaggregated sex and age data provided by the district officers and provincial administrators from the evacuation centres. A standard kit will include: Sanitary pads, wipes, tooth brush and tooth paste, toilet tissues, combs and bathing soap and towels.

Marriage and Family Relations

Reply to Issues Raised in Paragraph 24

Increase implementation of Family Law Act

124.Judiciary as part of their DVRO awareness has brochures to explain and create awareness on the latter. The Judiciary Website has comprehensive information on services provided with requirements. There has been an increased appointment of Commissioner for Oaths (Judiciary), together with increased appointment of JP’s by Ministry of Justice for implementation of Family Law Act. The Fiji Legal Aid Commission conducts home visitation to vulnerable groups.

Awareness Raising Measures on law and dispute settlement

125.The Registrar/Conciliator of the Family Court can also mediate and resolve Family disputes; there is also an independent Fiji Mediation Centre set-up with accredited mediators who have been actively mediating Family disputes referred to the Centre. The launching of the REACH programme (20 April 2015) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme using an interagency approach that involves agencies such as the Ministry of Women and Legal Aid that raise awareness on Family Law Decree and also provides one-to-one service on Family Matters and disputes.

Optional Protocol and Amendment to article 20 (1) of the Convention

Reply to issues raised in paragraph 25

Progress towards Optional Protocol Ratification

126.Ratification of CEDAW Optional Protocol is subject to Parliamentary approval.

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