26 Sep 2011

Call for more Pacific women to get roles in politics

6:49 am on 26 September 2011

Pacific women are calling on leaders to do more to increase women's participation in politics.

Following this year's Pacific Islands Forum summit, leaders committed to increase the representation of women in legislatures across the region.

But Roshika Deo from the Fiji Women's Rights Movement says she's seen no sign of that commitment.

"There are more than, I think, five countries in the Pacific that do not have any women in the parliament. And some countries only have one woman. So, not that is not a very accurate reflection of what is the current status of women's political and public participation in the region."

Roshika Deo says the Forum needs to start looking at temporary special measures to increase women's participation.