𝗥𝗙𝗠𝗙 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗙𝗠𝗙 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) officially launched its International Women’s Day celebration today (6 March 2025) at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Nabua. This year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action,’ emphasizes the need for swift and decisive steps towards achieving gender equality.

The Chief Guest for the opening ceremony was the Deputy Commander of the RFMF, Commodore (CDRE) Humphrey Tawake.

In his opening address, CDRE Tawake highlighted the RFMF’s progress in promoting gender equality within its ranks. He acknowledged the actions that the RFMF has made over the past year as major milestones in this journey:

• Increase of servicewomen within the RFMF from 3% to 10% over the past year.

• The establishment of the Command Gender Advisor and

• the introduction of the RFMF’s Gender Policy.

“We are committed to accelerating action towards gender equality and greater participation within our ranks. We believe that the RFMF can be a nation-building enterprise and that through the empowerment of women and girls we can achieve a more equitable society,” CDRE Tawake said.

CDRE Tawake also stated that the contributions of RFMF servicewomen, along with the support of wives and mothers, are crucial in helping the RFMF fulfill its constitutional responsibilities to the Republic of Fiji.

Lastly, CDRE Tawake expressed his gratitude to the service personnel and their families for their sacrifices for the nation and for supporting our continued contribution to UN peacekeeping operations.

This year, RFMF will mark 35 years of continued operations and contributions to UN peacekeeping missions. Throughout this time, RFMF servicewomen have played a crucial role in Fiji’s contribution to global peace and security.

Attending the official opening ceremony and the support service bazaar were RFMF senior leaders, foreign defense attaches, RFMF members, and their families. The bazaar was designed to provide immediate support to RFMF members and families with a range of skills, services, and support, including health checks, financial literacy lessons, and agricultural information.