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40 years of activism & feminism in Fiji

Gender in Human Rights Accountability Mechanisms

FWRM has continued to engage with human rights instruments and maintained partnerships with fellow civil society organisations to ensure government accountability towards human rights commitments. As a feminist and human rights non-governmental organisation, we are committed to working with other civil society organisations in influencing the process from a human rights perspective. This includes regional and international arenas, such as the Human Rights Council. 

Universal Periodic Review

Ever since the inception of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2006, FWRM has over the years, made individual and joint submissions highlighting relevant human rights issues. FWRM has lobbied with different stakeholders to amplify the issues as well as the related recommendations for the State to accept.

FWRM is also a member of the UPR CSO Working Group and is the Coordinator of the CSO UPR Gender Working Group. In 2019, FWRM brought together key partners to prepare for the very first time ever a special Joint Gender UPR CSO Report to better articulate human rights violations for all women in Fiji.

These partners included Citizens Constitutional Forum (CCF), Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), Haus of Khameleon, Rainbow Pride Foundation, Youth Champs for Mental Health, (YCMH), Reproductive & Family Health Association of Fiji (RFAF), Interfaith Search Fiji(ISF), Medical Services Pacific (MSP), Bua Urban Youth (BUY) and National Union of Factory and Commercial Workers (NUFCW).
 
 

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women

 

 

The Fiji government ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1995. Since ratification FWRM has been the NGO secretariat of the compilation of the shadow report on the implementation of CEDAW in Fiji.

FWRM (CEDAW NGO Coalition Secretariat) together with the CEDAW NGO/ CSO Working Group spearheaded the compilation and the presentation of two consecutive parallel reports, the first was presented to the UN CEDAW Committee in February 2002 and the second was presented to the UN CEDAW Committee in July 2010 in New York. The CEDAW NGO/ CSO Working Group consists of: Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), femLINK Pacific and Citizens' Constitutional Forum (CCF).

In 2017, the NGO Coalition on CEDAW’s Parallel Report (2017) provided input from the group's research and programmatic efforts for consideration by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in consideration of Fiji’s Fifth Periodic Report, which was submitted on June 2016. 

In 2022, for the first time ever, members of the CEDAW Commitee - Natasha Stott Despoja and Bandana Rana visited the Pacific was hosted in Suva at the University of the South Pacific at a Talanoa session organised by the  Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, FWRM, femLINKpacific, DIVA for Equality FIJI, Rainbow Pride Foundation 4 LGBTQ Rights and Equality in Fiji, Shifting the Power Coalition in partnership with USP.
 
The session included discussions on the work of the CEDAW Committee, learn about CEDAW and how we use it for our work.
 
 
 
  

 

In April of 2025, for the first time ever, Fiji held the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW Committee. The session held in Suva, was an opportunity to provide a platform for direct dialogue between the Committee, governments, and civil society, ensuring that women’s rights issues were discussed in a context that reflects Pacific realities, such as the impacts of climate change, small island vulnerability, and cultural norms affecting gender equality. By bringing together representatives from Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu, along with civil society and community leaders, the session allowed for sharing of best practices, challenges, and innovative solutions.

The significance of this session lies in its promotion of localized, context-specific strategies for advancing women’s rights. It reinforced the importance of civil society engagement, allowed NGOs to contribute alternative perspectives, and strengthened the capacity of Pacific states to implement CEDAW commitments effectively. Essentially, it was held to foster regional cooperation, amplify women’s voices, and ensure that international human rights mechanisms are responsive to the realities of Pacific communities.

 
 
The monitoring and implementation of CEDAW has also been part of FWRM’s core work since its ratification.