Call for women to register

July 14, 2012 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
By RINU SHYYAM

While the electronic voter registration (EVR) is gaining momentum with more and more people registering, a call has been made for women around the country to ensure that they get registered.

Minister for Women, Dr Jiko Luveni, has called on women in urban and rural communities to come forward and register.

“Women comprise of 49 per cent of total population and that is half of the voting population we looking at here. “ Dr Luveni said.

“Women of various backgrounds need to emerge as decision makers in matters of national importance and they have to make their votes count.”

Dr Luveni said the Ministry will work with the Elections Office to ensure that women particularly those in the rural areas are registered.

Dr Luveni also said the ministry will be educating women including young girls as young as 18 years on the importance of participating in electoral process through BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections) programme.

“It is a training module that is being developed by UN Women for use particularly in building capacity of rural women so that they can understand the significance and importance of participating in general elections and appropriate representation in parliament.”

Dr Luveni added that the programme will also help in addressing barriers that women face when exercising their voter rights.