International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that celebrates the many achievements and contributions of women the world over. It is a day to pay tribute to the billions of women around the world who contribute to their homes, communities and countries.
Fiji also joined the celebration of International Women’s Day.
On March 8, 2018 at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Fiji, Jioji Konrote, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Sarote Konrote, attended an event to celebrate women and launch the Fiji National Services Delivery Protocol for Responding to Cases of Gender Based Violence.
His Excellency and the First Lady attended at the invitation of the Hon. Mereseni Vuniwaqa, Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.
President Konrote was the chief guest and delivered the keynote address.
Elder Adolf J. Johansson, senior leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in Fiji, was also invited by Minister Vuniwaqa to participate in the evening and offer a spiritual devotional.
Elder Johansson says he felt it a privilege to represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this capacity. He offered the prayer to open the occasion, then spoke of the divine role of women.
He quoted from the Church’s Relief Society Declaration: “We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.”
He also quoted from the Latter-day Saint Young Women’s Theme, which declares: “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.”