Adi Litia Nailatikau is considering the best time to enter the political arena. She is the daughter of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, the former President and Speaker of Parliament.
Yesterday, she presided as the Speaker during the 2024 Women’s Mock Parliament session, a significant and nostalgic event. Adi Litia is an associate lawyer at Law Solutions, a project manager with the Fiji and Solomon Islands Conciliation Programme Resources, and a member of the Pacific Women’s Mediators Technical working group.
“I hope to support great women leadership because I know there are many in the country; they have not yet been identified or supported in the last few years,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s what I truly aspire to be at the moment, but it is something that I will work to be prepared for, should the support be needed for any woman leader in that role, or if it’s myself.”
This is the first time she has participated in such a mock session in the parliament. Adi Litia feels fortunate to be mentored by her father, who held a significant role in Parliament, while her mother, a lawyer, has encouraged her to give her best.
“It’s been overwhelming but exciting and an honor to be here,” she said. “It’s a difficult role to control the passion coming from all the women, but we have been preparing well to be respectful of each other and adhere to the Standing Orders, which many of us have just been introduced to over the last few days. I encourage any young woman to take this opportunity; Parliament is open for all of us, and the decisions made here affect everyone in the country.”