To commemorate this year’s Mother’s Day, The University of Fiji has launched its Centre for Women’s Leadership.

The UniFiji Centre for Women’s Leadership (UniFiji CWL) was launched at The University’s Saweni Campus on Friday 6^th May by the former Registrar of the University and Fiji’s first female University (of the South Pacific) Registrar, Ms Sarojini Pillay, at a function hosted by the Senior Management Team of the University.

The UniFiji Centre for Women’s Leadership aims to provide training and mentorship to women for national leadership. The Centre will be housed in the Office of the Vice Chancellor.

In introducing the background to the new Centre, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Fiji Professor Shaista Shameem said that there was no better time to launch the University’s Centre for Women’s Leadership than Mother’s Day as mothers were the first and most influential leaders in the community. A mother’s guidance, encouragement and support molded all men and women for good citizenship and out of that significant influence national leaders emerged.

Unfortunately, Professor Shameem said, these leaders, somehow, ended up being more men than women in number.

The University had noticed the glaring absence of women in top leadership positions in the Fijian political, economic and development landscape. Fiji was not unusual in failing to recognize the qualities of leadership exhibited by women as, apart from a few special exceptions, the trend in favour of male leadership in top positions in government and in the political space was the same internationally.

However, widespread conflict, for example the war in Ukraine, as well as the aggressive profiteering foundations of climate change disasters, and the urgent need to keep our children safe from harm, showed how a different type of national, organizational, and community leadership was immediately required to secure peace and respect for human values much needed in the world today, Professor Shameem said.

Mother’s Day 2022 was the appropriate occasion to launch the UniFiji Centre for Women’s Leadership for the University to facilitate a paradigm shift in national leadership philosophy, practice and attitude, Professor Shameem said.

UniFiji CWL will run its first National Leadership for Women Programme from July – December 2022 over 2 hours per week for selected applicants.

Professor Shameem is the Coordinator and Facilitator of the Programme.

The Programme includes topics such as National Leadership, Advocacy for the Public Good, Understanding Fijian Society, Conflict and Dispute Resolution, The Gaia Perspective on Climate Change, Navigating Strategically within Culture and Community, Dealing with the Law, Dealing with Aggression, Facilitating Media Relationships, Managing a Budget Creatively, Strategic Thinking and Planning, Innovation, Ethics, Integrity and Human Values, Regeneration of Society (how to become a good Ancestor), Breaking Glass Ceilings and Barriers, Praxis, Revolutionary Thinking, Change Management, Starting Up and Starting Over, and Feminization of Future National Development.

The Programme will be advertised in the media and on the University of Fiji’s website from Monday 9^th May. An application process will be employed to select suitable candidates for the programme