A History of Fijian Women’s Activism (1900–2010)

Fijian women collectively challenged their double colonization since the 1900s. Indentured women workers pioneered “embryonic agitations” (evidenced through strikes, physical confrontations, and written petitions) against exploitative colonial officials and Indian overseers. The 1920s saw a shift in the nature of women’s activism towards a discourse of economic empowerment, with the rise of indigenous organic organizations like Qele ni Ruve. This period was followed by the transcultural platform of the Pan-Pacific and Southeast Asian Women’s Association in the 1940s and the contemporary women’s movement of the 1960s led by the Fiji Young Women’s Christian Association. The latter was marked by convergences with and divergences from transnational discourses. The focus-feminisms of the 1980s brought human rights to the forefront of women’s activism. This phase has continued until the present day, although there is now an emphasis on peace and reconciliation in post-coup Fiji.