A new Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) study has found modest gains but persistent gender imbalances on State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) boards, with women still far from equal representation despite progress in some leadership roles. Examining the membership of 38 government-controlled boards, the research shows women made up 29.2 per cent of board members in 2026 — an increase of roughly nine percentage points since 2023 — while men accounted for 70.8 per cent.
The report tracks appointments across several years, noting women held just 20 per cent of board seats in 2022 and 2023, and 21 per cent in 2020. Although the headline rise to just under 30 per cent marks the largest jump in recent years, FWRM researchers warn the advance masks uneven distribution. The number of boards with no female members has fallen sharply from about 32 per cent in 2023 (roughly 12 of the 38 boards) to roughly 10.5 per cent in 2026 (about four boards), indicating more boards now include at least one woman.
Despite that improvement, the study finds many boards still fall short of meaningful gender balance. The proportion of boards with less than 30 per cent women climbed from 39 per cent in 2023 (around 15 boards) to 55.3 per cent in 2026 (about 21 boards). FWRM Research Officer Crystal Chute said the pattern suggests token appointments rather than broad-based inclusion: “Women continue to hold a minority of positions, exposing persistent gender disparities in leadership and decision making. Despite recent gains, the overall balance remains heavily skewed.”
There has been a more notable shift in senior roles. Women now hold 21 per cent of Board Chair positions across the 38 SOEs — about eight chairs — up from just 5 per cent in 2023 (roughly two chairs). FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh said the increase in chair appointments is encouraging but insufficient on its own. “Meaningful participation goes beyond overall numbers,” she said. “Women must also be represented across a diverse range of roles, boards and sectors, particularly those responsible for key decisions and key areas of national development.”
The report also assessed ethnic representation on boards, finding iTaukei representation at 64.8 per cent, Indo‑Fijian representation at 35.7 per cent, and other ethnic groups at 11.2 per cent. FWRM flags these figures alongside gender data to underline intersecting gaps in representation across Fiji’s public institutions.
FWRM is urging the government and appointing bodies to move beyond simply increasing headcounts. The organisation calls for fair, transparent and inclusive appointment processes, and targeted measures to build the pipeline of qualified women — including capacity-building, clear selection criteria and open advertising of vacancies. FWRM says such steps are essential not only for gender equality but for stronger governance and more inclusive decision-making across Fiji’s state-owned sector.