Supporting Women Through Better Road Infrastructure in Fiji

A Gender Action Plan (GAP) was prepared to address identified gender and broader social exclusion issues in the project areas, incorporating specific targets and actions to ensure that project benefits reached women, children, and other vulnerable groups. The GAP indicators reflected gender equality and social inclusion features. 

• Ensure women's equal representation in community consultation and decision-making for the project design, prioritizing their market and social services needs.
• Promote job opportunities for women in non-traditional roles where culturally appropriate.
• Ensure the implementation of prevention awareness programs on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections for workers and communities.
• Ensure women's representation in the Grievance Redress Mechanism and Grievance Redress Committee to effectively address the concerns of vulnerable groups.
• Collect sex-disaggregated data to track the numbers of women and men benefiting from the project.

The Fiji Kings and Queens Highway project underscores the value and impact of gender-sensitive design and approaches.

• Community engagement. To ensure an inclusive and meaningful consultation process, the project set a 40% female participation in community consultations. Separate meetings for women and men were conducted, providing a platform for women to freely speak about their mobility and daily commute challenges. As many women, children, and elders primarily rely on walking and public transportation as their primary mode, the project also included additional gender measures for road enhancement.
• A space for voicing grievances. The Grievance Redress Mechanism was designed to promptly address concerns and complaints of community members, including women, through a simple and transparent process that is gender-responsive, culturally sensitive, and readily accessible to affected persons. The Fiji Roads Authority ensured women’s representation in the process by including Women’s Crisis Centers in the Grievance Redress Committee.

Employment opportunities for women at the project site

Women living in communities near the project area were encouraged to engage in skilled and nonskilled work. The project included a provision to involve at least 20% of women in labor-based construction work in all bidding documents as well as for sub-project contractors. Also, road construction sites engaged at least 10% of women in nonskilled work, while at skilled level, about 30% of women were employed for the road upgrade projects in various roles, such as Social and Environment Manager, Human Resources, and Occupational Health and Safety, and Finance.

An estimated 40,943 persons, including around 49% women, residing along the upgraded sections of King and Queen Highway, have directly benefited from the improved national road upgrades. A survey by the Fiji Roads Authority conducted along the rehabilitated King’s Highway indicated an improvement on travel time and have improved sales for local female vendors. 

(Left) The Queens Road Upgrading Project significantly enhances accessibility along the key highway in Namada Village. (Right) This upgraded stretch from the Queens Road Upgrading Project improves access, safety, and provides more opportunities for local vendors in the Momi Junction area. All photos in this article were taken by Zafiya Shamim, Fiji Roads Authority.

The infrastructure investment enhanced business opportunities for women selling food along the roadside. Improved roads reduced dust and mud for street vendors, creating a cleaner and more conducive environment for business. Women street vendors in Sigatoka and at the Momi Junction in Nadi reported an increase in sales, while some street vendors in Rakiraki have extended their selling hours into the evening, thanks to street lighting. Better road conditions also helped open up additional livelihood options for village women, who requested the installation of stalls along the road to sell seasonal vegetables and fruits.

The improvement of Queens Road has given women the opportunity to sell tea, coffee, parceled food, and pastries on the roadside in Namada Village in Sigatoka.

A fruit vendor notes that improved parking allocation for customers at the Momi junction in Nadi has raised sales for vendors and has also enhanced safety.

In Sigatoka, women said that they were able to travel more frequently and access more areas to sell products and to source materials for their businesses. Those in the tourism industry indicated that improved road conditions have made their daily commute to work easier, more consistent, and reliable.

Addressing health risks related to the mobilization of workers. The increased mobility and interaction of the community and workers can lead to health-related risks, for example, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. To mitigate risks, the Fiji Road Authority conducted HIV/AIDS and STI education awareness sessions along the project areas, for workers and community members. Delivered in the local language, these sessions were designed separately for women and men, ensuring cultural sensitivity and effective communication.

Integrating measures to prevent and address sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment is important. The project included mandatory training on addressing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, and a code of conduct with zero-tolerance for misconduct. It also established confidential reporting mechanisms. The World Bank also provided training on sexual exploitation and harassment to strengthen the mechanism of addressing sexual exploitation for workers.

Recognizing women’s roles not only as users but also as developers in transportation development is an entry point to addressing gender barriers to mobility. Adopting supportive measures—such as conducting consultations in the local language, setting accessible venues with provisions for refreshments, sending targeted invitations to women, and arranging separate meetings between women and men—can create safe spaces for women to express their needs.

Addressing gender gaps in mobility is crucial for enhancing transport infrastructure and improving services for diverse users. This includes adding footpaths, bus bays, shelters, lighting, speed humps, and traffic signs designed to accommodate pedestrians, particularly women and children who often make shorter commutes in the village.

Building capacities can promote gender equality in technical roles, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the transport sector. More meaningful career talks and dialogue about women’s empowerment in secondary and tertiary institutions can help enhance women’s readiness and competitiveness in pursuing technical and STEM careers. It is also crucial to allocate adequate resources, provide institutional support, and secure commitment from implementing government agencies.

Note: The author wishes to acknowledge the following who contributed to this article:  ADB's Albert Cerelala, Senior Project Officer; Etuale Ioane, Project Officer; Beatrice Olsson, Senior Gender Officer; and Uzma Altaf, Gender Specialist; and The Fiji Roads Authority.

Asian Development Bank (ADB). Transport Infrastructure Investment Sector Project (formerly Bridge Replacement Project) in Fiji.

ADB. 2022. Roads to Prosperity: How ADB and Partners are Connecting Communities and Accelerating Economic Opportunities in Fiji. Photo Essay. 3 March.