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A group of 25 women have graduated from the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program, presented by the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants (FICA) in partnership with PSDI.

The training program, held in Suva over the past 2 weeks, was targeted at women in executive and senior management roles and aimed to support women to build confidence, expand their skills and knowledge of business operations, and establish networks with other women in senior positions in the private sector.

A graduation ceremony for the program was held on 31 July at the Holiday Inn, Suva, with the Hon. Lynda Tabuya, Minister of Women, Children, and Social Protection as keynote speaker.

In her remarks, Minister Tabuya congratulated the course graduates and noted her pleasure in being invited to “celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of women who have excelled in the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program.”

Minister Tabuya also noted the importance of the course in helping the women strengthen their networks and thrive in leadership positions. “Strengthening women's networks enables women to connect, share experiences, and exchange knowledge and resources. This support system is essential in overcoming barriers to career advancement and leadership roles.”

“I am very much eager to see how many of you will climb the leadership ladder and set a shining example for all of Fiji. You have the potential to lead the way and inspire countless others.”

The event featured a panel of speakers, including Ms Naina Ragigia, Senior Executive Women in Leadership program graduate and Communications Specialist with the iTaukei Trust Fund Board. Ms Ragigia shared how the course helped her strengthen her networks. “One of the things I learned is building of support networks. First of all, you have to create a space with an inner circle and allow people into the inner circle that bring you positive energy… During this class, I found we had that safe space, we could talk freely [and] you could express yourself.”

Ms Ragigia also noted that the course helped her recognize her existing and transferrable skills, stating that “[the course] gave us that self-realization. We are good managers in our own way. You’re managing yourself, you’re managing your family. If you’re doing things right at home in that space… you could apply that [and] do whatever you want.”

Joining Ms Ragigia on the panel was Ms Kamal Haer, Executive Manager Strategy, Alliances and Loyalty and Director at Fiji Holdings Limited. Ms Haer said that training programs are important at an individual level, but organizational change must “come from the top from a leadership role.”

“We talk about things in terms of how we want to progress, but nothing is going to happen unless the change comes from the top to say, ‘this organization is going to be 30% women senior leaders.’ We say network, but it’s not easy for women to break the glass ceiling, so there has to be some tangible action items that need to be in place to actually get change happening,” said Ms Haer.

Providing opening remarks, Mr Wiliki Takiveikata, FICA President, highlighted the links between women in leadership and business performance, stating that “diversity in leadership is not just a matter of fairness; it is a proven driver of innovation, profitability, and overall business success… At FICA, we are pleased to be playing a role in supporting more Fijian women to take on leadership roles in business.”

The 4-day program was delivered through a combination of lecture style presentations, case studies, guest speakers, and interactive activities. The modules covered topics such as risk management and resilience, organisational culture and leadership styles, corporate governance and communications.

The 25 participants were women from mid- and senior-executive positions in the private sector and government, working in diverse departments including finance, corporate, risk-management, and sales. 

"We are really thankful for the opportunity to work with the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants to take some tangible action to help the next generation of women take these leadership roles," said PSDI's Economic Empowerment of Women Expert Sarah Boxall. “PSDI’s recent Leadership Matters report showed that Fiji is improving, but still has a long way to go to bring the representation of women in business leadership in line with regional benchmarks. We hope that programs such as this one can help Fiji achieve its vision of a more equal corporate leadership landscape.”

Photos from the graduation ceremony of the Senior Executive Women in Leadership Program. © Jason Chute

Find the graduation photos below.