“Think before you click, think before you speak, observe before you react, not every comment deserves a response, and not every battle needs your voice.”
While addressing the Miss Fiji Pageant Research Topic Presentation Program today (10:12:2025), Minister for Information, Hon. Lynda Tabuya, delivered this message to the eight contestants vying for the Miss Fiji Pageant title.
The theme of the 2025 Miss Fiji Pageant, scheduled from December 10–13, is “Promoting Online Safety: Think Before You Click.”
In the hope that her story would provide strength to the inspiring contestants, Hon. Tabuya shared her personal journey as a victim of online violence, describing herself as a woman ‘who has bled publicly, been shamed publicly, who has cried privately, and who still wakes up every morning to serve.’
“I am sharing my journey today in the hope that you will draw strength from it, not sympathy. If my story becomes a stepping stone for even one of you, then none of my pain was wasted,” Hon. Tabuya said.
The Minister further emphasised the importance of focusing on the positive and discerning what is necessary for one’s well-being and energy.
“Your foundation is everything. In pageantry, you wear a crown but your true strength comes from what grounds you. My family is my fortress. They pray for me, cry with me, laugh with me, and remind me of who I am. When the world crumbles, your foundation keeps you standing.
“When I was going through that tough time in the last few months, and it's something that has taken me throughout my life, whenever I feel broken, whenever I feel hopeless, I serve. I find an opportunity to serve.
“Because when you serve others, it shifts your perspective, you do realize that there is someone else out there who is going through worse than you, someone who needs you, and you can lend your strength to that person as well.”
Hon. Tabuya urged the women to focus on their message to the community and to the people of Fiji.
“As contestants in this Pageant, some of you may face criticism. There may be long social media posts about your dress, your accent, your walk, or your personality. But never lose hope. Do not be swayed by the voices behind the keyboard. Instead, write your own words, words that inspire, empower, and uplift. Use this platform to shape someone’s future, to guide someone toward success, and to improve someone’s life.
“In the digital world, it may bring violence, but it also brings power. We need to use that, not to shrink, not to rise, to speak, to lead, and to build a Fiji where our daughters will inherit freedom, not fear. Embrace this journey wholeheartedly as you have been all along.”