Situating Women: Gender Politics and Circumstance in Fiji

Kindy and grassroots gender transformations in Solomon Islands

“…They can also be seen as ideological products of indigenous elites who have already captured the benefits of education and other services and economic opportunities and seek to justify their position by arguing that the 'innocent population' of Melanesian subsistence horticulturalists has no real need of such Western impositions (Golub 2014;Hau'ofa 1987). These views often entail condescending and oppressive views of the place of women in society and may seek to 'protect' women from the corrupting and destabilising influence of 'foreign' ideas such as women's rights or gender equity (George 2012;Taylor 2008). …”

“…Very often in Solomon Islands and other Melanesian countries, ideas of equality between men and women are represented as inherently foreign and incompatible with kastom, the venerable set of social norms that include assemblages of Christian and neotraditional practices and ideals (Douglas 2003;George 2012;Jolly 2000;McDougall 2014). The opposition of women's rights and Melanesian culture is not simply the position of Melanesian traditionalists but is also reproduced by human rights advocates (cf.…”

Institutionalising Women, Peace and Security in the Pacific Islands: Gendering the ‘architecture of entitlements’?

“…This silence has persisted, despite women peace activists' efforts to increase regional awareness of the gendered challenges of insecurity. This work has drawn attention to the hardships borne by women forced to flee outbreaks of violence, the fears borne by women who face allegations of enemy collaboration and the violence they may suffer in contexts where their resistance against state authoritarianism has been punished as dissidence (personal communications with women advocates in Arawa, Buka and Chabbai, June 2014, George, 2012).…”

Pressure and Persuasion: Young Fijian Women’s Experiences of Sexual and Reproductive Coercion in Romantic Relationships

“…Gender inequality continues to characterize iTaukei social relations in contemporary Fiji, with men typically occupying formal positions of power and authority. This includes domination over their wives and sisters, and gender-based violence remains pervasive and is largely socially sanctioned (Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre [FWCC], 2013; George, 2012). This extends to male control in sexual and reproductive decision-making, where men often determine the timing and conditions of sexual intercourse, contraceptive use, and pregnancy outcomes (FWCC, 2013; Mitchell, 2017; Mitchell & Bennett, 2020).…”