Mereseini Vuniwaqa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation | |
| In office September 2016 –August 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Frank Bainimarama |
| Preceded by | Rosy Akbar |
| Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources | |
| In office September 2014 –September 2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 June 1974 Vanua Levu,Fiji |
| Children | 1 son and 2 daughters |
| Education | University of Tasmania (LLB) Australian National University (Legal Practice) |
Mereseini Rakuita Vuniwaqa (born 18 June 1974) is a Fijian politician,who served as the Minister for Women,Children and Poverty Alleviation from 2016 until her resignation from the Fiji First Party in 2021. [1] [2] In November 2021,she was appointed as the Global Chair of the Family Planning 2030. [3]
Contents
- Early life and education
- Professional career
- Political career (2014–present)
- Ministry of Land and Mineral Resources (2014-2016).
- Ministry of Women,Children and Poverty Alleviation (2016 to present)
- Resignation from party
- References
Prior to her resignation,Vuniwaqa was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2014 and appointed to Cabinet,holding the portfolio for the Ministry for Lands and Mineral Resources, [4] becoming the first Fijian woman appointed to the position. As one of the most senior and influential Cabinet ministers,she has been appointed on various occasions as an Acting Prime Minister on behalf of the Prime Minister in his absences overseas. Vuniwaqa is the first Fijian woman appointed as chair of the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji in 2008, [5] Acting Permanent Secretary for Justice and Anti-corruption in 2012 and Acting Supervisor of elections [6] and also served as a State Solicitor for the Office of the Attorney General.
In 2021,Vuniwaqa was one of the top candidates shortlisted [7] to succeed Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as the executive director of the UN Women,alongside Kang Kyung-wha of South Korea,Sima Sami Bahous of Jordan,Anita Bhatia of India and Radhika Coomaraswamy of Sri Lanka,the post eventually went to Bahous.
In 2019,she was elected to chair the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+25 Review where over 500 Ministers,senior policy makers,UN officials,civil society,youth,and private sector representatives from across Asia and the Pacific region gathered at UNESCAP in Bangkok to support accelerated progress on gender equality and women's empowerment. [8] She also chaired,the Asia-Pacific 8th intergovernmental and regional forum on Sustainable Development,organized by UNESCAP in March 2021 under the theme "Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and the Pacific" which included virtual participation of over 1,000 senior government officials and stakeholders. [9]
