In this episode, Vaishnavi and Kirthi speak to Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, a second-generation Fiji Island feminist working on the intersection of gender, media, communications, and peace by supporting the development and production of appropriate and accessible media.

Currently she is the Chairperson and Gender Liaison of the Board of Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), the co-chair of Global Fund for Women Board of Directors, and a member of the Feminist Alliance on Rights, coordinated by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL).

Sharon was a member of the UN Women-convened Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) on UNSCR1325+10 (2009-2010), the first UN Women Global Civil Society Advisory Group (2012-2014) and the High Level Advisory Group for the Global Study on UNSCR1325+15 (2014-2015). Between 2010 and 2012 she coordinated civil society input into the development of the Pacific Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (2012-2015) as well as the GEAR campaign.

She is a co-founder of FemLINKpacific, which emerged from the women-led Blue Ribbon Peace Vigil initiative in Fiji in 2000. Through her leadership FemLINK has developed a program infrastructure applying peacebuilding practice and a people’s communications for development approach to a regional women’s community media network. This has included supporting women’s participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making, including disaster risk reduction and humanitarian crises. The media network now supports the development and management of a range of media initiatives including the Pacific’s first women-led community radio network FemTALK 89FM as well as the innovative inter-operable Women’s Weather Watch information-communication system.