GIRLS

The play 'Time to tell' is made up of six stories that emerged from storytelling between participants of the Fiji Women's Rights Movement's (FWRM) GIRLS project and staff of the Women's Action for Change (WAC).

The Fiji Women's Rights Movements GIRLS- Grow, Inspire, Relate, Lead, Succeed is a three year long theatre program which is designed to empower 10-12 year old girls and help strengthen their knowledge on the rights of the girl child. This booklet is a programme to the theatre production titled ' A series of unfortunate events" by the GIRLS Club in 2014.

GIRLS Forum 2021 Outcomes Statement

A situational analysis factsheet in late 2023 on early and forced child marriages in Fiji based on Fiji Bureau of Statistics 2022 data showing that about 9% of women aged 20-29 years old were married when under the age 18 years.. The analysis factsheet covers existing laws, policies and commitments, as well as women's voices and experiences. 

3^rd GIRLS Forum a space to share girls lived realities in the western division

19/05/2023

Girls need to be provided a platform to share their lived experiences, learn about their rights and responsibilities, and advocacy strategies on the issues they face.

This was the sentiment yesterday as the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) Grow.Inspire.Relate.Lead.Succeed – GIRLS Programme successfully concluded the 3^rd Girls Forum in the western division with diverse girl leaders from Sigatoka, Nadi and Lautoka.

With the theme “GIRLS Succeed” the forum which began on May 15 at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel was for the girls-by the girls, and an opportunity for the participants to present the 3^rd GIRLS Forum Revolutionary Document – a compilation of the priority issues that the girls had highlighted during the three-day programme. The event was supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Girl Programme, managed by the Pacific Women Lead at the Pacific Community (PWL at SPC).

At the behest of the girls, the document was presented to duty bearers which included the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation (MWCPA), Lynda Tabuya and representatives of the Child Services Unit (CSU) and Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts (MEHA). Also present were representatives of local partners for the activity from the Medical Services Pacific (MSP), Fiji Red Cross, Fiji Muslim Women’s League, Empower Pacific and proud parents and carers of the girls.

The participants were excited to present the outcomes of the Forum and acknowledged the platform to discuss their experiences around girls’ meaningful participation in public life, sexual and reproductive health and rights, ending violence against girls and more.

“I am a girl living with a disability called Microtia and for most of my life I have been through a lot of discrimination because of this. Through this programme, I learnt that no one has the right to discriminate another based on their sex, race, colour and even disability. This learning has encouraged me to continue being an advocate on girls’ rights as I know there are other girls with disabilities out there who are not privileged to be in an empowering space like this.” - Miriama, 3^rd Girls Forum participant.

FWRM through the GIRLS Forums and other inter-generational spaces, continue to nurture the platforms for girls to learn, raise their opinions and articulate issues in the face of multiple layers of discrimination they are faced with on a daily basis.

“Actions taken to address gender inequalities need to start from a young age if we are to sustain the work of the women’s rights movement here in Fiji. This is why FWRM is engaging with adolescent girls and today we heard the same sentiments shared through the earlier two forums on the need to include our girls’ perspectives into policies that ultimately has an impact on their lives, the need to end and prevent violence that is perpetuated towards girls in our communities and the urgency to include comprehensive sexuality education within the current education system,” FWRM’s Executive Director, Nalini Singh said.

Minister Tabuya also spoke during the programme and committed her support to the Revolutionary Document and the advocacy on the issues presented by the girls.

“Remember, your voice matters, your choice matters, your body and health matters, your dreams matter, your experience matters and your presence matters. Don't shy away from sharing your thoughts, choices, dreams and experiences. Be the trailblazers who shatter glass ceilings while building bridges, forging alliances, and forming coalitions that amplify the issue and cause,” the Minister said.

The participants called upon the inclusion of girls’ voices that is representative of girls’ lived realities from the Western Division, in particular, for existing national policies to be reviewed and strengthened to ensure girls’ lived realities are addressed.

The 3^rd Girls Forum Revolutionary Document included recommendations such as a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) that ensures a curriculum that will create positive and healthy discussions about girls’ bodies, a healthy learning environment and a lasting positive impact on girls’ sexual and reproductive health.

The girls also thanked MEHA for the free sanitary pad vouchers in schools programme and in the same light also called for accessible, safe, functioning and hygienic Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities are available in every school.

FWRM is proud of the impact of the GIRLS Programme and the 3^rd GIRLS Forum on the girl leaders from the western division and commits to continue moving the flagship leadership programme for girls to other divisions in the country.

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For media queries, please contact FWRM Communications Officer Serelisoni Moceica on 8677330 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Breaking the taboo on the topic of menstruation urgent to address issues with women and girls’ reproductive and sexual health

25/05/2023

The need for more open discussions on girls’ and women’s menstrual health and hygiene is required if we are to address issues around women’s reproductive health. 

The remarks were made recently by the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement Executive Director, Nalini Singh who participated in an intergenerational panel at the Let’s Talk Period festival organised by Deaf girl participants of the FWRM  Grow. Inspire. Relate. Lead. Succeed - GIRLS programme in Lautoka last week.

The cohort of Deaf girls who also attend Gospel School of the Deaf, are Menstrual Health trainers who designed and facilitated the festival held at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel on Friday, May 19, 2023. The event is a build-up to the World Menstrual Hygiene Day that is annually commemorated on May 28.

The inaugural Let’s Talk Period festival was also the first time the FWRM GIRLS Programme convened a Deaf girl-led space with other hearing girls in the Western Division and was supported by the Australian Government as part of the Pacific Menstrual Health Network in partnership with Water Aid Australia. 

“I am very lucky that I am brought up in a family where I have the support of my father when it comes to my own periods. Today, I felt good to be in a space where I was confident and helped facilitate the programme as a Deaf girl and to be able to share my experiences and what I’ve learnt with hearing girls, as I had been learning through other interactive spaces through FWRM,” Deaf girl participant, Adi Lusi said. 

Ms Singh and other panelists shared their experiences on menstruation and puberty, the taboo subjects of girls’ reproductive health and associated issues in their own homes and communities, the importance of support from family members, the financial costs of menstruation and how they addressed the stigma associated with a girl’s period.   

“Normalise open discussions on menstruation in your own homes. This is a lived reality for most women and girls so why should we not talk about it? Almost half of Fiji’s population are women and girls so why should we then not ensure that access to quality sanitary products and care is prioritised in all health budget plans?,” Ms Singh said. 

The event also included information booths set up by the Deaf girl participants where they were able to share information about menstruation to the hearing girls. 

Discussions at the event also brought to light the multifaceted need to addressing girls' menstrual health using the example of a Deaf girl living on an island having different needs from a Deaf girl residing in an urban area - a “one size fits all” approach is will not ensure that different needs are met. 

Another girl participant, Sheree, said, “It was an exciting programme and I really loved the way the event was set up and how information was exchanged during the panel and even at the information booths. My message to other girls is, please don’t be shy to talk about menstruation in your families. It is a normal part of a girl’s life so if you’re scared or you don’t know much about periods, talk to your friends, and talk to someone you trust, speak up so you can get the information you need.” 

FWRM reiterates the need to build the agency of girls, young women and aging women to make informed decisions about their own menstrual and reproductive health. We continue to advocate for gender responsive sustainable policies that can address intergenerational needs on advancing menstrual health in Fiji. 

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For media queries, please contact FWRM Communications Officer Serelisoni Moceica on 8677330 or email

                                                                                     FWRM Expands GIRLS Programme

                                                                                                              24/03/2021

The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) is excited to welcome a new group of ten girls between the ages of 11 to 12 years into their Grow.Inspire.Relate.Lead.Suceed (GIRLS) Programme; a year-long pioneering, feminist and girls-oriented initiative in the Pacific.

The new girls were recruited from Suva’s informal settlements and join 37 other girls who are part of the programme, including Deaf girls from the Gospel School of the Deaf and the Hilton Special School. This meaningful engagement with adolescent girls is supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Girl program, managed by Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women).

FWRM through the programme, hopes to create a cadre of empowered adolescent girls that have agency over their own issues as girls face the double discrimination of being young and female, further exacerbated by intersectional barriers such as poverty and disability.

“We continue to take an intergenerational leadership development – through our life cycle approach, in highlighting the realities of women, young women and girls of all diversities. Girls face the world differently from us as women and young women. Having girls’ voices within the movement is key to bringing in their realities and priorities to influence policy and laws,” FWRM Executive Director, Nalini Singh said.

Ms Singh said it is vital that girls are given the space to raise their opinions in the face of shocking and pervasive violence against them. FWRM’s Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls Rape Case Analysis 2020 found that the average age of victim/survivor of all rape cases determined in Fiji’s High Court is 14 years; the youngest victim/survivor was 3 years old and in 65 percent of all the rape cases, the victim/survivor was 17 years old and younger.

“We will continue to amplify girls’ voices within the policy advocacy work that FWRM does. Girls need a space or platform to articulate their issues and this is why we have a programme like this” she said.

With feminist and human rights based approaches, FWRM will also be testing the newly developed GIRLS Programme Toolkit. The toolkit was co-developed by graduates of the programme who are now young women leaders in their own fields of studies and work.

The GIRLS Programme, now in its fourth phase, was designed and implemented in 2012 and uses creative platforms for activism. Through safe and healthy avenues, FWRM girls involved in the programme raise issues on gender stereotypes, bullying, discrimination and violence faced at home, in the community and the school environment.

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For more information please emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

28/11/2023

We want our voices heard! We want an end to gender based violence! We want the right to be safe!

These were the sentiments illustrated last night at an emotional FWRM Grow.Inspire.Relate.Lead.Succeed (GIRLS) Theatre Performance - “What A Girl Wants! – Our Rights to be Safe! Protect Our Space!” that was held at the Vodafone Arena in Suva as part of our 16 Days Against Gender Based Violence (GBV) campaign.

The event was packed with more than 300 children and adults who witnessed the theatrical performances of the girls’, shared experiences and lived realities portraying issues such as gender stereotypes, bullying and sexism faced at home, in their communities and the school environment.

“Today we saw an intergenerational performance by our girls - that includes both our hearing and Deaf girls, and their mothers, highlight the need to end GBV through addressing structures that perpetuate harmful patriarchal ideologies that continue to hinder women and girls’ access to justice,” FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh said during the event.

“It’s their stories. It’s all our stories. This is indeed what happens in our communities and our families,” she said.

Ms Singh acknowledged members of the programme and the Moana Loa Theatre Studios who helped the girls and their parents put together their stories and compose the production, the second event organised by the girls marking the 16 days camping against GBV.

“On November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the FWRM GIRLS Programme organised an intergenerational panel on Ending Gender Based Violence Against Women and Girls in Sports at the HFC stadium. It was the first time to bring together young women and girls in sports to speak on the gendered disparities that they face in their individuals sports that included women’s rugby and rugby league, Deaf women’s touch rugby and women’s indoor soccer. It was good to hear first-hand the experiences of these young women and girls in sports who are in their own field working to better the status of women and girls in sports,” Ms Singh added.

Now in its fifth phase, the FWRM GIRLS programme uses creative platforms such as theatre, sports, digital storytelling and spoken word as safe and healthy avenues to raise issues faced by the girls involved in the programme.

The theatrical event concluded with a graduation ceremony for 35 members of the programme last night.

This activity was supported by the Australian Government in partnership with the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA).

FWRM GIRLS Programme Hosts 2nd Successful GIRLS Forum

12/4/2022

FIFTY diverse girls between the ages of 6 and 17 years old participated in the 2^nd GIRLS Forum last week in Suva, hosted by the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) Grow. Inspire. Relate. Lead. Succeed - GIRLS Programme led by girls for girls.

This forum was supported by the Australian Government through GIRLS Arise, funded by the Pacific Girl programme managed by Pacific Women Lead, and the GIRLS Program, funded through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program, from 5th – 8th April, 2022.

During the opening of the four day forum, the FWRM Executive Director, Nalini Singh highlighted the importance of the 'GIRLS Lead' event as a safe space where girls’ voices drive the advocacy work  the movement is  heavily involved in. 

“The work you do here goes beyond these walls and with persistent advocacy by the FWRM team and you all, we can influence laws or policies that government make”, Ms Singh said.

 “I am happy to be part of an inclusive setting like this. We don’t have this opportunity often and we're just happy to be part of the space where I can build on my confidence, allowing for me to be bold and speak up on issues I want highlighted” – Mariana and Lusi, Deaf Girl participants of the forum said.

The girls interacted with speakers on topics such as leadership, girl-centered advocacy, self-sufficiency and young women in entrepreneurship.

“I enjoyed the breakout sessions we had. I liked listening to stories of leadership and I know that will help me with my leadership journey “, said Nivriti, forum participant.

Another participant, Emily, acknowledged the platform provided for the girls to be able to share their experiences. “I am happy I came here to speak up about the issues I have been struggling with. I was able to share these in the space. I know this is the right space to bring it up as I know the forum declaration will highlight this and hopefully a positive change comes out of it” – said Emily, forum participant.

A 2^nd GIRLS Forum Declaration has been drafted focusing on the Ending violence against girls, Access to Education and the importance of girls’ issues around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and will be published soon.

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7/03/2022

GIRLS lead 'Brown Girls Rocking Feminism' Event for International Women's Day

For the first time ever, members of the FWRM Grow.Inspire.Relate.Lead.Succeed (GIRLS) Programme designed, organised and led their own event for International Women's Day on Saturday (5/03/2022) at the Fiji Museum Verandah in Suva.

With the theme, 'Brown Girl Rocking Feminism', more than 40 diverse girls between the ages of 10-17 including Deaf girls participated and led the day's programme. This unique event was supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Girl program that is managed by Pacific Women Lead and in partnership with the International Women’s Development Agency.

Dance, art, spoken word and pop quizzes were the highlights of the occasion. Through this, the girl participants creatively learnt about the concepts of gender and feminism debunking myths around gender stereotypes and gender roles while learning about gender equality and work feminists around this.  

"This has been an exciting experience for me. I have learnt about gender equality, I have learnt about rights and responsibilities. I have learnt that a girl can do anything she sets her mind to and to speak up and use my voice when I need to,” a GIRL participant from Vugalei settlement in Lami said.

FWRM Executive Director said there was a need to create and nurture the spaces and the platforms for girls to learn and raise their opinions and articulate issues in the face of multiple layers of discrimination they see and face on a daily basis.

"FWRM takes a life cycle approach for intergenerational leadership development ensuring the realities of women, young women and girls of all diversities are highlighted throughout. Girls experience the world differently and there is significance in raising awareness on their lived realities which is key to influencing policies that affect them,” Ms Singh said.

"I have always wanted to be involved in a lot of events but couldn't because I'm deaf. I have learnt a lot through my involvement with the FWRM GIRLS Programme. I reflect back on how I grew up and I know now that I have the power to control what my future looks like,” a Deaf GIRL participant in Suva said.

The FWRM GIRLS Programme is a year-long pioneering, feminist and girls-oriented initiative in the Pacific. Currently, there are 37 girls in the Programme, which includes girls from informal settlements around Suva and Deaf girls who attend Gospel School of the Deaf.

This event was organised in the lead up to the FWRM 'If Women Stop, the World Stops' concert in solidarity with the Women’s Global Strike (WGS) that will be held at the Fiji Museum on Tuesday (tomorrow) 8^th March, 2022.

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