JOINT PR: Pita Wise’s Reappointment Raises Serious Questions About Accountability and Government’s Commitment to Ending Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 15/09/2026

 

Pita Wise’s Reappointment Raises Serious Questions About Accountability and Government’s Commitment to Ending Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 

 

 

The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC), Fiji Women's Rights Movement (FWRM) and DIVA for Equality Fiji (DIVA) express our serious concerns over the appointment of Pita Wise as Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Public Enterprises. 

 

This appointment is deeply troubling given the previous sexual harassment allegation during Mr. Wise’s tenure as Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in 2024. 

 

In 2024, FWRM and FWCC publicly called on the Coalition Government to withdraw Mr. Wise’s nomination as Fiji’s Ambassador to Japan. At the time, we made clear that our concern was not about denying anyone the presumption of innocence. It was about whether the State was taking allegations of sexual harassment seriously, whether appropriate processes had been followed, and whether those processes had resulted in accountability. 

Those questions remain. 

 

Mr. Wise subsequently resigned from his position as Permanent Secretary. Yet, two years later, he has now been appointed to another senior Permanent Secretary position. 

 

This raises a fundamental question - what happened to the complaint? 

 

“Has the allegation been fully investigated? Was the investigation completed following Mr. Wise’s resignation? What were the findings? Were any recommendations made? And, most importantly, were those findings considered before Mr. Wise was appointed to another senior position within the public service?” said Shamima Ali, FWCC Coordinator. 

 

She said that the public should not be expected to simply accept another senior appointment while these questions remain unanswered. 

The women’s groups are particularly concerned about the apparent lack of transparency surrounding the recruitment and appointment process. 

“Permanent Secretary positions are among the most senior positions within Fiji’s public service. They carry enormous responsibility, authority and influence over public institutions, public servants and the delivery of government policy. The public therefore has a legitimate interest in knowing how this appointment was made, the criteria applied, who was considered, and whether an open and transparent recruitment process was undertaken,” said FWRM Executive Director, Nalini Singh. 

 

She reiterated that if Mr. Wise was directly selected, the PSC and Government must explain why he was considered suitable for appointment despite the 2024 sexual harassment allegation. 

 

For years, women's groups have lobbied and advocated for the strengthening of Fiji's legal and policy framework to prevent violence and harassment against women and girls. Fiji has also ratified the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment, committing to a world of work free from violence and harassment. 

 

“And yet when a person who has been the subject of a sexual harassment allegation is able to return to a senior public service position without a clear public account of what happened to the complaint, it risks reinforcing precisely the culture we have been working to dismantle and tells women that complaints can disappear into institutional processes. It reminds us of how sexual violence is normalised even at the highest levels of Government. This appointment reinforces the dangerous perception that again, people in power can continue to be shielded from the consequences of their own actions,” said DIVA for Equality Co-Founder Noelene Nabulivou. 

 

FWRM, FWCC and DIVA for Equality call on the PSC and the Government to demonstrate that its commitment to ending violence and harassment against women is more than just policy language and public statements. 

 

If our leaders do nothing, they will continue to foster a culture where sexual harassment and other forms of violence is accepted against all women and girls. 

 

 

For media queries, please contact FWRM Communications Officer Serelisoni Moceica on +679 2136547 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.