Shoma Sharon Prasad
Shoma’s background is working in areas addressing problems of gender, leadership and youth in Fiji and she is part of a group that creates projects addressing equality and human rights for young people. Shoma has founded and co-ordinated workshops training leaders of youth and women’s groups in local applications of the big issues in Fiji: good governance, social justice and human rights. Her group the Emerging Leaders Forum is soon to launch a website which will be a valuable resource for the youth of Fiji.
Shoma’s workshops encourage young people to think beyond borders about concepts like nation building, racial and religious tolerance and the plight of minority groups. Views and prejudices are expressed and challenged during group discussions. On a large scale, workshops help improve the communities relationship with government departments, non-government organisations and other community groups.
Shoma states that “the workshops have equipped me with the skills - and boldness - to tackle gender policy writing for the South Pacific Tourism Organisation. Thirteen Island countries will follow this policy! The day the policy that I have developed is implemented will be the most rewarding day of my life.”
"I work with a local non government organisation as a coordinator of the Gender & development Program. The program aims at raising awareness to women and men on the changes that are taking place. Promoting gender balance in a changing society is one of the main objectives in the awareness raising. This has been a great challenge especially for a society that has people speaking several languages and performing different cultures and traditions. All these has been a contributing factor to the lives of the people and therefore it has been very challenging for us as well. We wish to consider how people from other cultures address similar issues so that we can be able to adapt those ways into our ways in addressing the issue."
Shoma Sharon Prasad
