FWRM offers Women’s Mentoring Programme again in 2023

Due to the overwhelming success of the inaugural Paying it Forward Mentoring (PiF-M) programme for mid-career women launched in 2021 on International Women's Day, Fiji Women’s Rights Movement is proud to announce today the commencement of the second round of the programme - PiF-M2.

A total of 12 women have been shortlisted for interview, of whom 6 will be selected, from numerous applications received by the organisation. The mentees will undergo one-to-one mentoring, done virtually, by mentor and FWRM board member, Imrana Jalal.

“From the 7 women who participated in the program 3 went onto regional or more senior and more complex and challenging roles. All are firmly on a pathway to enhanced leadership. How to balance being a parent and an executive is one of the more difficult problems we tried to find coping skills for,” said Jalal. She said that “FWRM is proud to have been part of that journey” and that “this program is one of the most gratifying and rewarding things I have ever done”.

The mentoring programme was launched to guide and help mid-level career women through barriers faced at work and guide them on how to address the challenges to moving on to the next level of their careers.

"PiF-M2 offers guidance on how to break the glass ceiling and combat gender discrimination in the workplace. The program helps women who have faced challenges to advance their career and recognise opportunities,” FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh said.

This mentoring programme is specifically targeted at women (Fijian citizens only) aged 35 years – 45 years, at mid-career level with potential for advancement within their own fields and organisations and is delivered through the lens of feminism and gender equality.

According to a mentee of the first phase of the programme, PiF-M allowed her to analyse her professional capacity and provided guidance to move forward in her career.

"I had 12 sessions and each was so helpful to me as a person, a mum, a wife and as an upcoming executive in the company. This program made me overcome obstacles I’ve faced, prepared me to know how to overcome future obstacles and made me believe in myself and not be afraid to go for it! Thank you so much for equipping me to get to the next level I need to get to, and I guarantee I will share the lessons I’ve learnt with Imrana to other women in my circles and networks," the mentee said.

Ms Singh said the year-long programme was tailor made for Fiji citizens only, targeting this specific group of women to help provide them support and guidance.

“This is another opportunity to support women at mid-career levels and to the growth of women who have the potential to be leaders in different areas of work. These are women who are often overlooked for promotions to top levels of management in the workplaces”, Ms Singh said.

Ms Singh said that in 2022, FWRM published a Perception Study on Leadership in Fiji that concluded that 69% of survey respondents indicated that “gender stigmatisation” decreased a woman’s chances of being a leader.

A previous survey carried out in 2020, on Gender Equality, diversity, and inclusion focusing on leadership in Fiji government-controlled boards found that in 38 state-owned enterprises, women’s participation is low, and below the global target of a minimum of 30% by 2020. Of 192 Board members in 38 Boards, women comprised only 21% of all Board members or 40 of 192. Ten of 38 Boards, or 26%, had less than 30% women participation.

“This is still less than the global target of 30% of women in all forms of decision making by 2020 set during the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action. Women’s participation in leadership is very low and it is our duty to help progress women into these spaces,” Ms Singh said.

As we commemorate International Women’s Day this week, FWRM hopes that more urgent efforts will be made to include women in decision making spaces.

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