The Gender Barrier Assessment (GBA) Project 2025 was officially launched today at the Fiji Learning Institution for Public Service (FLIPS) in Nasese. The initiative is part of the global Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) framework.

The launch ceremony was officiated by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence and National Security, Mr. Mason Smith, who underscored the significance of the initiative for Fiji’s peacekeeping missions.

“This gender barrier assessment is meaningful to our women participating in peacekeeping operations,” Mr. Smith said.

“Effective policies need to be built upon a robust, evidence-based understanding of the experiences of our own uniformed women. Undertaking these barrier assessments will allow us to understand what the current barriers are to women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping operations and within our organizations more broadly.”

Mr. Smith stated that the MOWIP methodology is currently the global standard for uncovering cultural, structural, and institutional factors that limit women’s full contribution to the forces.

He also highlighted that Fiji is the first Pacific Island country to undertake such a comprehensive systematic barrier assessment.

“As a regional leader, Fiji’s experience and results from this project will serve as a blueprint for other Pacific Island police and military forces, which we will be able to share through platforms like the Pacific Island Chiefs and Police Meetings, the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting, and indeed the Pacific Island Forum,” Mr. Smith said

“This is also the first time that the Ministry and the forces are jointly leading on a women, peace, and security-related initiative, which no doubt is a strong signal of the sense of ownership we share towards the need to address these issues and remove barriers, as well as the need to do so in a manner that is sustainable and future-looking.”

In Conclusion, Mr. Smith urged all uniformed personnel to support the assessment process fully and mentioned that “Empowering women and promoting gender equality within our forces strengthens our institutions and helps us better reflect the diverse populations we serve”.