Three female scholars at The University of the South Pacific (USP) have become the first recipients of the Vice-Chancellor and President’s (VCP) Strategic Fund for Female Academics, a new initiative designed to foster gender equity within the institution.
The Strategic Fund is intended to assist female academics on the verge of promotion by allowing them to reduce their teaching load and dedicate more time to research and scholarly publications.
The honored academics include Dr. Buriata Tofinga, a lecturer at the School of Business and Management (SBM); Dr. Amanda Ford, a senior lecturer at the School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Oceans and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS); and Dr. Hilda Waqa-Sakiti, the lead researcher and team leader at the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD).
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia noted that this initiative was created earlier this year in celebration of International Women’s Day, embracing the theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
“This groundbreaking initiative is the first of its kind at USP and reflects our commitment to increasing the representation of women in academia,” remarked Professor Ahluwalia. “It is a transformative component of a comprehensive strategy aimed at accelerating progress in promoting gender equity at USP.”
He expressed congratulations to the recipients and recognized the dedication of all female academics and researchers at USP, emphasizing the continuous investment in women’s growth.
Dr. Buriata Tofinga is focusing her research on the effects of climate change on women’s livelihoods. She plans to explore how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) informs the social and economic practices of women in indigenous communities susceptible to climate change. “This research is vital as it will add valuable insights to discussions on gender empowerment and the significance of traditional knowledge in the Pacific,” she stated.
Dr. Amanda Ford specializes in coral reef ecology and marine management, aiming to connect scientific research with practical management solutions. Her projects encompass regional efforts to assess marine plastics in reef fish and understand the impacts of cyanobacterial mats on coral reefs in Fiji.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hilda Waqa-Sakiti is leading a pilot project dedicated to assessing the health and stability of Fiji’s blue carbon ecosystems, focusing on mangroves and seagrass. This initiative also aims to establish a reliable monitoring tool for these ecosystems, while she oversees a larger project investigating the integration of Pacific indigenous knowledge with Western scientific methods for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The research findings from these projects aim to assist Pacific governments in policy-making and contribute to global discussions that highlight the distinctive Voices and experiences of the Pacific Islands.