Ulamila Cakau has made a heartfelt and urgent appeal to women, encouraging them to embrace their roles within the home to drive positive change in their communities.
Speaking as the Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection at the 2024 Fiji Women’s Mock Parliament, Mrs. Cakau shared a personal conviction that she believes could be transformative for women everywhere.
She emphasized that by fully embracing their roles as mothers and community members, women have the power to transform their homes and, consequently, reduce societal issues such as drug abuse and other social problems.
Mrs. Cakau highlighted the concept of the home as a “safe space,” a crucial environment where women wield significant influence.
“In this home, you and I have power and authority. We have the time and ability to make a difference within our families and our nation,” said Mrs. Cakau.
“In this space, it is up to us to make our marriages work, in this space we birth and nurture our babies, in this space we teach, teach, and teach again,” she continued.
“We teach values, we teach God and love, we teach wisdom, knowledge and understanding, kindness, respect, and humility. Women present and watching today, how do we do this? We need time, understanding, grace and we need commitment. We must walk the talk.”
Mrs. Cakau stressed the importance of aligning actions with words, noting that children are the first to notice discrepancies.
“Get off the phone, get off social media ladies! Get your children off social media, get them to read. In the critical years of our children, we must pay the price, we must make time.”
“Let’s do it ladies, let’s go back to the four walls of our homes, make a difference and come out victorious.”
Mrs. Cakau’s message was clear: by dedicating themselves to their roles within the home, women can effect meaningful change and emerge victorious in their efforts to improve society.