International Women’s Day (IWD)
To round up celebrations for International Womens Day 2023, we would like to share an inspirational story from one of pioneers of women police officers.
She is the retired Superintendent of Police (SP) Merewalesi Verebalavu who hails from Namena Villlage in the province of Tailevu.
Mrs Verevabalavu was a Guest Speaker at the Fiji Police Academy Women’s Day celebration last Wednesday supported by the New Zealand High Commission, Suva, Fiji and UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji where she addressed women officers including 41 female recruits.
She joined as one of the first Women Recruits in 1970 straight out of High School and they were put on trial basis because at that time, only men were recruited into the organization.
“That was one of the challenges we had faced, the instructors were all men and we were treated as males and the training was tough.
We had to learn fast on how to adapt and survive in a men’s world“, she said.
Today, she's glad that things have changed and the Academy has women officers who are trainers inside and outside the classrooms.
She said she had to work twice as harder than her male comrades and the recruitment days were the most difficult time of her life.
She recalled having to be at the Nasova Grounds at 6am every morning, rain or shine, and if they were a minute late, the instructors would make them run back and forth from the big mango tree in Nasova ten times.
“On most occasions, a bus full of people would stop to pick up passengers from the bus stop at near the mango tree.
The worst thing while running towards the mango tree is hearing passengers cheering you on, and most of them would be the children of police officers who lives at the Nasese and Nasova Barrack.
She adds those times weren't easy because they were competing with their male counterparts but she saw that as a challenge.
They were not allowed to stay up late but she would light a kerosene lamp and study on the floor beside her bed.
At the passing out parade in December, 1970 , Madam Merewalesi was awarded the Baton of honor for the best overall recruit and the Commissioners Book prize for attaining the highest exam mark.
“It was worth the hard work and sacrifice.
I was the first woman to achieve this milestone in the passing out parade and I was very proud of that“.
After passing out, she said she was determined to have a career in the Police Force. In 1973, she was promoted to the rank of Corporal.
In 1976 to Sergeant at Central Police Station where she was in charge of the Women’s Police Unit which was just established back then.
She stressed that then Government had realized , that women too would have an important role in the Fiji Police Force so they started recruiting more women into the Organisation.
“In 1979, the Fiji Police Juvenile Bureau was established and I was appointed its first head.
I had two male staffs and the unit was established in the West and also in the North.
For this appointment, I was promoted to the rank of Senior Inspector “.
As the head of the Juvenile Bureau, she was still in charge of the Police Women’s Unit and at that time, Women Officers weren’t allowed to get married.
Back then, she said if they wanted to start a family, they were required to resign from the Force in order to get married.
“This was an issue we kept advocating for and made several submissions to the senior officers and even to the public service commission.
An issue we fought hard for and finally, it was agreed. Now the current women officers are enjoying that privilege of having a family and still be a member of the Fiji Police Force “.
After a few years she was transferred to the Prosecution Unit. At first she was reluctant to go since she never attended any prosecutions course.
“I went home and prayed about it because that was a difficult decision to make.
I woke up the next morning and told myself, I can do it, I will do it“. On her first day, the Divisional Prosecuting Officer Southern (DPO/S) handed her two files to study because she would be prosecuting the next day.
She presented her first file which was a case of careless driving along Raiwaqa and she won that case. This first win motivated her and she would go on to win other cases in court.
“I took on big lawyers and it was enjoyable. I didn’t know much about prosecution and didn’t have any legal practice experience but I kept telling myself that I can do it.
I believe in myself and that what I wanted to share with all women officers out there“. She later became the first woman to become the Divisional Prosecuting Officer Southern which was based at the Government Building near the Court house.
During her 33 years of service, she attended international courses which had taken her to countries like Japan, South Korea, Vanuatu and on most occasions, Australia. “I have been fortunate enough to be given these opportunities and I took every bit of it has a challenge.
There’s no two ways about it, you need to work hard and keep believing in yourselves. Do not give up, be honest and believe in yourselves.“
#IWD23 #womenempoweringwomen #empoweredwomen #FijiPolice #saluspopuli
