Fiji has a rich history of sports passion and expertise. With rugby as one of the most loved games in the country, Get into Rugby PLUS is maximising the benefits of the sport by using it as a tool to drive social change. It helps build the confidence and resilience of young people, promote positive behaviour, and challenge gender stereotypes.
Female Role Models in a Male-dominated Sport
“Women and girls can be just as successful in sport as men and boys, and I have proven that,” said Kitiana Kaitu, Fiji Rugby Union’s Get Into Rugby PLUS Coach and Educator. Kitiana shared her experience of taking on the role of a leader in a sport traditionally deemed as male-dominated.
“When I first began coaching the school’s first rugby team five years ago, a lot of men looked down on me. They would say ‘You should be cooking at home. This is no place for a woman!’ Despite the challenges and the constant criticism during tournament days, we kept pushing on,” she shared.
“I have always encouraged my girls and have always told them that if they believed in themselves, they could move mountains. So the girls kept playing and I continued to coach them. We won many games over the years.”
Kitiana said that thanks to Get into Rugby PLUS, more women and girls started to get involved in rugby. “Those who used to look down on us are now cheering for us. I could say that as females, we showed them that we are here to stay. Rugby is inclusive, it is a sport for all,” she said.
Lavenia Yalovi, Fiji Rugby Union’s National Coordinator for Get into Rugby PLUS talked about some of the positive impacts she has witnessed: “In some schools and communities, it is observed that boys and girls now respect each other more. For example, boys no longer shout at or give negative comments when seeing girls play rugby. They cheer them instead.”
“Boys and girls are also seen sharing responsibilities off the field. The boys sweep the classroom, cleaning the windows. Parents also said that their son started helping out with chores at home.”
For Lavenia, having the chance to be part of Get into Rugby PLUS is something that means a great deal to her.
“It has helped me to speak up on issues affecting women and girls such as violence. I am an advocate for gender equality, especially in this male-dominated sport.”
“As a mother, it has also helped me, not only by providing income, but by raising my son with values, sport skills and life skills that will enable him to become a good player, son, friend and in the future to be a successful and humble man.”
Story of Emelina
Unaisi Vakarewa is a proud mother to 13-year-old Emelina. Before Emelina joined Get into Rugby PLUS as a player in 2019, Unaisi said her daughter was shy, never hung out with others, and had always kept to herself. But joining transformed Emelina in so many ways.
By becoming a player, Emelina got opportunities to spend time playing rugby and learning life skills with other children. Emelina started to open up, socialising more with her friends. She became more confident and her communications skills improved.
Unaisi said she is very happy about the changes in her daughter. Unaisi also acknowledged how life skills learning has made a great impact on Emelina. She learned skills on how to solve problems and to make decisions for herself. Emelia has become more independent. Unaisi hopes Get into Rugby PLUS can be expanded to more schools so that more children can have the same opportunities that her daughter is having, to play and to be empowered to become a future leader.
The story was developed from content provided by Oceania Rugby and Fiji Rugby Union.
Oceania Rugby is one of six regional associations of World Rugby, responsible for representing the interests of its Members. Oceania Rugby’s sport for development programs contribute to achieving gender equality, reducing inequality, and ending violence against women and children, and are built around the rugby values.
Fiji Rugby Union was established in 1913 and is the governing body for rugby union in Fiji. Fiji Rugby Union is a full member of Oceania Rugby and became affiliated World Rugby in 1987.
To learn more about Get into Rugby PLUS, click here.
This International Youth Day, we’re celebrating two determined leaders from Vietnam. Young people have the right to have their voices heard and considered in the issues that impact them.
Ngan, age 12, and Viet Anh, age 11, are two young leaders from the Bac Kan province, chosen by their peers to represent them at the Provincial Children’s Forum.
This Forum is a chance for children and young people to come together from different parts of their province and share their experiences and the challenges they face as young people. They have the opportunity to raise awareness on the issues that are important to them and advocate to provincial leaders for change so that community leaders can create an action plan. At the forum, they work together in small groups to present on an issue.
The Children’s Forum is held annually in the Hoa Binh, Cao Bang, and Bac Kan Provinces. We spoke to Ngan and Viet Anh about their experience.
How did you feel when you were chosen to represent children and young people from the Bac Kan province at the forum?
Ngan: I was very surprised, happy, and proud to be chosen to participate in the Forum and represent over 80,000 children in the province.
All other children participating in the city level forum were great, yet they voted for me to represent them in the province level forum.
Viet Anh: I am very happy and proud as I get to exchange knowledge with friends and learn many interesting things.
How do you feel after taking part in the Provincial Children’s Forum?
Ngan: My friends and I feel both happy and sad.
Happy since we got to hang out and learn together, do teamwork, participate in many activities such as swimming at the Children’s Centre and visiting Bac Kan Province Sponsoring Association for People with Disability and Orphans.
But we were also sad to leave each other. I got to make friends with people from other districts. We will keep in touch though.
Viet Anh: I am very happy. After a full day of training, we were led by the teachers to visit the Bac Kan Province Sponsoring Association for People with Disability and Orphans. I got to speak to children with living with a disability. After that, we were taken to go swim at the Children’s Centre.
I got to make friends with other people from other districts which was really fun. We still keep in touch, and I hope we get a chance to meet again next year.
Which group presentation were you most impressed with and why?
Ngan: I was most impressed with the group presenting on child sexual harassment since they gave a very strong opinion on the matter and showed us how to prevent such harassment. From their performance, I learned how to prevent sexual harassment for myself when I am in a similar situation.
Viet Anh: I remember the presentation of a group on physical and mental harassment since they provided reasons leading to such harassments. From there, I learned how to apply suitable and effective solutions to prevent these harassments.
What were you most impressed with at the forum?
Ngan: I was impressed with the dialogue section between children and local leaders where groups raise opinions and were responded by local leaders. For example, on the question on how to prevent child sexual harassment, a province leader has responded and provided solutions for harassment prevention.
Viet Anh: I was impressed with the children’s drawings. I think they are so creative and smart to reflect a story of a child who was sexually harassed as well as the solution to the story through simple drawings.
What does the forum mean to you and other children?
Ngan: The forum is very meaningful, it gives us a place to have fun and allows us to raise our voices, helps us make many new friends and participate in many useful activities. I learned a lot of useful knowledge about children’s rights and how to prevent when we are sexually or physically abused.
Viet Anh: The forum enhances children’s capacity in realising children’s rights, creates a favourable environment for children to voice opinion on issues related to us, and enhances the responsibility of party committees, authorities, and organisations in the implementation of child law, child rights, and child protection work, especially around safety assurance and prevention of violence against children.
Can you give an example where recommendations made at the forum have been implemented by provincial leaders?
Both: In recent Children’s Forums, children have voiced their opinions on the issue of child protection at a grassroots level. Local leaders have stepped in by focusing on building a child protection system at the grassroots, the Department of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs has developed guidelines for the establishment of a Standing group for child protection and a team of child protection staff in the communes. At the same time, the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs also advocates for policies to provide financial support from the state budget for child protection workers.
In the report on plan implementation from recommendations of children at the previous Forum, particularly on online safety for children, the leaders mentioned what they have done such as organising communication sessions on online safety for students in school, in summer activities.
Learn more about our work with children and young people in Vietnam.
