Gender Equality In Diplomatic Appointments

Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) is dismayed at the headline in yesterday’s Fiji Sun -“Women ‘Unsuccessful’ … Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says females who applied for ambassador positions ‘didn’t come to my level of selection’” - which raises serious concerns about gender equality, representation, and our collective commitment to an inclusive Fiji.

While appointments to high-level diplomatic posts must be based on merit and transparent selection based on a criteria, it is equally vital to ensure that women have a fair and equitable opportunity to compete for these positions. Merit cannot be fully realised if systemic barriers, unconscious bias, or institutional culture continue to shape who is seen as “ready” or “qualified” for leadership. We also question the application of the same rigorous criteria for the men that have been selected.

Recent media reports have created confusion about women’s participation in this process. The Prime Minister initially stated that no women applied for ambassadorial roles, but later clarified that several women had, in fact, applied. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed that fourteen Fijian women are currently serving in overseas missions and more than ten are based at headquarters. These facts make it clear that the issue is not the absence of women, but rather the limited pathway from application to appointment to head a mission. What we see is that when it comes to heading a mission, then women are not meeting the criteria.

FWRM’s Executive Director Nalini Singh says “we know for a fact that able and competent women applied with one being far more capable than at least one of the appointees”.

It is important to ask whether the selection criteria and decision-making processes are transparent, consistent, and gender-equitable. Was the selection panel balanced with men and women having an equal voice and leadership in the process? We must also consider whether women in the foreign service are being given access to the same mentoring, training, encouragement, and networks that are often essential for advancement. Real equality requires not just opportunity on paper, but structural support and accountability in practice.

Fiji has made international commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Beijing Platform for Action which requires Fiji to translate these commitments into measurable outcomes that are an essential test of leadership. The 2024 Women in Diplomacy Index says that only about 21 percent of ambassadors are women globally. Fiji’s challenge, therefore, is not unique but our responsibility is to do better, especially as a nation that values fairness, talent, and inclusion.

FWRM urges the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Public Service Commission to strengthen transparency and gender equality in all senior appointments. A gender-balanced diplomatic service is not only a matter of fairness; it is a matter of national credibility and pride.
The strength of Fiji’s global voice depends on the diversity of the people we entrust to represent us.

Women are not “unsuccessful.” They are qualified, capable, and ready to serve. What must change is the system that continues to underestimate them.

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