Women from around Fiji gathered in Suva yesterday to discuss what constitutes the appropriate age of a Young Female.
The Fiji Young Women’s Forum is a collective made up of four non-govermental organizations.
Coordinator – Mamta Chand says women leaders and activists aged eighteen to thirty five years of age are part of the Fiji Young Women’s Forum.
“The Forum really wants to know where we can cut off the young women’s age so the debate has been going on from 18-25, 18-30 or 18-35. At the end of the forum we want to come up with a position paper where we will define the age women’s age, so that will be the concrete age definition.”
Gender Advocate – Miki Wali says the National Youth Council of Fiji’s constitution defines youth between 18 to 35 years.
“Whether young women are married or they are still single but they are in that age category, they should be classified as young women.”
Emerging Leaders Forum Alumni – Tavai Bale says the Forum also aims to encourage women to be politically active.
“Thematic areas which we would like for leaders and the state to consider in terms of young women development, its five thematic areas, its active political participation, sexual reproductive health, accountability and transparency, education, sustainable development, justice, peace and security.”
The Fiji Young Women’s Forum consists has 70 registered members.
