Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
The Fijian Women’s Rights Movement is urging people to remember that International Women’s Day is not just about celebration but about action for gender equality and women’s rights.
Speaking at an event to mark the day, Executive Director Nalini Singh says the occasion should serve as a moment to reflect on progress made and the challenges that still remain for women.
She highlighted that International Women’s Day has its roots in labour movements in North America and Europe in the early 1900s, where women organised for fair wages, voting rights and safer working conditions.
“A feminist understanding of International Women’s Day centers intersectionality and collective liberation in many places International Women’s Day has become very commercialized reduced to corporate hashtags, discounted products or symbolic gestures.”
The day was later recognised globally by the United Nations in 1975 during International Women’s Year.
She says the day should focus on advancing rights and equality, holding institutions accountable and amplifying the voices of women, particularly those from marginalised communities.
Singh adds that issues such as gender-based violence, economic inequality and unequal political representation continue to affect women in Fiji and across the Pacific.
The organisation is also encouraging governments, institutions and communities to take meaningful action to address these challenges and ensure progress toward gender equality.
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