The She Leads training, implemented by femLINKpacific in partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), has completed a countrywide roll-out across 11 centres between August 2025 and April 2026, bringing leadership and civic participation training to more than 250 women from urban, peri‑urban and rural communities. The series — delivered in Lautoka, Labasa, Rakiraki, Nadi, Suva, Nausori, Levuka, Savusavu, Sigatoka, Ba and Nasinu — targeted women in the thirteen municipalities, including Lami and Tavua, and aimed to boost women’s representation and decision‑making at community and municipal levels.
Organisers said the program emphasised accessibility and representation to ensure women across Fiji could participate. Through interactive workshops, group discussions and practical exercises, participants worked on core skills in communication, advocacy and inclusive leadership. Sessions addressed self‑awareness, confidence building, gender barriers and practical strategies for engaging in community and political processes, with facilitators stressing leadership as influence and collaboration rather than simply holding formal titles.
Participants reported tangible shifts in confidence and willingness to take part in decision‑making spaces. Among them, 46‑year‑old farmer Ravina Lata of Dawasamu, Tailevu, described the training as transformative. “The words She Leads were strong enough. I wanted to learn more and help women take part in decision‑making in our communities,” she said, adding that the environment and encouragement “exceeded anything I had imagined.” Lata said the programme changed her view of leadership: “Now I understand that leadership is about empowering others, creating inclusive spaces, and influencing systems at multiple levels. It’s not about personal success alone; it’s about community transformation and ensuring diverse voices are heard.”
Lata has applied the programme’s lessons directly to life on her farm and in her household. Motivated by a longer‑term vision of sustainability, she has moved away from short‑term cash crops toward an organic model that includes avocado, coconut, pearl guava, dragon fruit and kumquat. She attributed new confidence in communicating and advocating to her participation in She Leads: “Before She Leads, I hesitated to put my ideas on the table. Now, I communicate with confidence and advocate effectively.”
The training’s nationwide reach and its focus on grassroots women mirror recent calls from national leaders and civil society for stronger mentorship and support networks for women. In March 2025, Minister for Women Sashi Kiran highlighted the need for mentorship and community‑level initiatives to increase women’s representation, and other local capacity‑building efforts — such as Soqosoqo Vakamarama’s leadership programs in Kadavu — have similarly aimed to strengthen women's skills and confidence. Organisers of She Leads positioned the programme as part of this broader push to create inclusive pathways into leadership.
As the series concluded in April, organisers noted that participants left with practical tools for advocacy and a reframed understanding of leadership that prioritises inclusion and community impact. With more than 250 women trained across diverse settings, the programme represents a notable step in building grassroots leadership capacity that could influence municipal and community decision‑making in the months ahead.