Date: 08 Jan 2026
Mobilising Women to Lead Change in Wainigasau
In a culturally diverse settlement of Wainigasau, Lami, a quiet leadership transformation has taken place; it has been led not by someone with a formal political background, but by a woman whose journey began with a simple act of stepping forward and putting her values into practice. Nisha Khan, now a community leader and former Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Board Member, exemplifies the power of grassroots leadership development and inclusive women’s networks.
Nisha leads a women’s group of twelve – a multi-faith collective of Muslim, Hindu, Rotuman, and iTaukei women who work side-byside to strengthen their community. What began as a COVID-19 registration gathering soon evolved into a pivotal moment of recognition, when the women chose her to lead their emergent organisation.
From that day, Nisha embraced leadership as a service. Despite never imagining herself as a positional leader, she was appointed to the FCOSS Board and became affiliated with FemLINK Pacific, learning about governance, community organising, and advocacy through experience and training.
“I didn’t know what a Board Member does, but I must have done something right to be selected. It was a blessing. I learnt slowly, and I knew I was chosen for a reason.”
Participating in joint Balance of Power and FCOSS convenings and training like the Women in Leadership Pipeline 2023 has strengthened Nisha’s leadership confidence and helped her to sharpen her voice in decision-making spaces. She continues to attend political candidate training and civic education workshops, ensuring she brings accurate information back to her community.
“Leadership gives you confidence. If you’re using the right power, your people stand with you. What we learn, we bring back”.
Through her networking, Nisha mobilises support for vulnerable families linking with organizations like DIVA, Sai Prema, and Mirage Foundation Fiji to provide breast cancer screenings, groceries, water access, and free medical camps.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the communities we serve – the mothers, the parents, the young people and the children. We cannot do anything without them in mind and that is what leadership is all about.”
Nisha sees leadership as grounded in fairness, vulnerability, balance, and belief in community capacity. Her journey reflects the strength of everyday women leading change, building unity, delivering solutions, and proving that leadership begins with service to the people.