Fiji’s Director for National Disaster Management Vasiti Soko has won the inaugural United Nations Women’s International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction Excellence Award.

It recognizes women who achieve exceptional professional success in the field of disaster risk reduction.

Soko beat nine women from around the world, and says she is humbled by the award.

“It was a spur of the moment that I thought of women in Fiji he disability women that are thriving in this sector, that win was not only for me, not only for NDMO but for disaster practitioners, especially women”

Soko says being a leader in a male dominated field has its own challenges, none of which stopped her from pursuing professional growth.

“I don’t see men as a competition, I see them as an inspiration of what I need to do better. I benchmark them to what improvements I need to do to get to where I am”

She hopes that the award will encourage young girls in Fiji to tackle male dominated fields.

Vasiti Soko describes herself as a hardworking woman trying to break glass-ceilings not just for herself but for other Fijian women.