Formal education systems have, to a large extent, dismissed experiential knowledge, such as that held by traditional healers. Male historians write history, and leave her story out. The loss of traditional knowledge about resource use is one of the central problems of our times because the loss of knowledge ultimately contributes to the loss of biological diversity including the plants used to make medicines. USP's Professor Randy Thaman and others believe that naming plants, and recognising their use, is key to their protection.
People are more likely to protect resources they know and use.
Studies carried out in Fiji and other parts of the world have clearly shown that women know and use more plants than men living in the same villages, but this only makes sense given their multiple family and community responsibilities. One of our challenges is to give women the confidence to speak out about local development decisions that will have a negative impact on their continued ability to access medicinal plants and other resources. Women living in remote villages and on outer islands of Fiji are amongst the regular users of traditional medicines. The proposed increase in user fees for services provided by the Ministry of Health, and the increased charges for western medicines, will undoubtedly lead to a rise in the use of traditional medicines. Most traditional medicines are simple herbal preparations made from plants that can easily be grown around the home.