Adi Adi or ADI may refer to: Names and titles * Adi (mythology), an Asura in Hindu faith who appears in the Matsya Purāṇa * Adi (name), a given name in Hebrew and a nickname in other languages * Adi (title), a Fijian title used by females of chie ...

Losalini Raravuya Dovi was a

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

an politician and lady of rank in Fiji's chiefly leadership. In

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

she was jointly one of the first women elected to parliament, serving in the House of Representatives until 1977. She also served as Assistant Minister for Urban Development and Social Welfare from 1975 to 1977.

Biography

Dovi was the eldest child of Ratu Taniela Uluiviti and Laisani Valotu of Bau; her father was an early colonial administrator under her future brother-in-law

Lala Sukuna Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vanayaliyali Sukuna (22 April 1888 – 30 May 1958) was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the Modern Fiji, post-independence leadership of Fiji. He did more than an ...

. The elder of her two younger brothers, Nat Uluiviti, played cricket and rugby union for Fiji and later became a Senator. After attending the Methodist mission school in

Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...

, Dovi began working for the Fijian Affairs Board as a clerk.Adi Losalini Raravuya Dovi
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', November 1983, p73 She later worked for

as his private secretary. She married J.A.R. Dovi, Sukuna's younger brother, who served as

Roko Tui Bau In Fiji, Turaga na Roko Tui Bau is a vassal chief of the Vunivalu of Bau (the chief of the post- Cakobau enclaves of the Kubuna confederacy). From his seat at the residence of Naicobocobo, the Roko Tui Bau rules the Vusaratu chiefs (including t ...

and was the first Fijian to quality as a doctor. They had four children:

Joni Madraiwiwi Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga (10 November 1957 – 29 September 2016) was a prominent Fijian lawyer, legal scholar, jurist, and politician. He served as vice-president, and also acting president, of Fiji, and Chief Justi ...

(later Vice President of Fiji), Timoci Taniela Taliai Tavanavanua, Litiana Maopa and Viviana Valotu Sofi Veisaca. Dovi later worked for Malcolm Trustram Eve when he headed enquiries into the sugar and coconut industries, and served as president of the Fiji National Council of Women. In 1966 she joined the new Alliance Party and was briefly its secretary. In the same year, she was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a populatio ...

to the Legislative Council as one of two representatives of the

Great Council of Chiefs The Great Council of Chiefs ''(Bose Levu Vakaturaga'' in Fijian) was a constitutional body in Fiji from 1876 to March 2012. In April 2007, the council was suspended, due to an unworkable relationship with Frank Bainimarama, leader of an "interi ...

, becoming one of the first female members alongside Loloma Livingston and

Irene Jai Narayan Irene Jai Narayan (23 February 1932 – 29 July 2011) was an Indian-born teacher and politician, who had a significant influence on politics in Fiji. She came to Fiji in 1959 after marrying Jai Narayan, a well known school Principal in Suva, a ...

. She was re-elected in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

from the South-Eastern Fijian national constituency. Following the elections, she was appointed Government Whip. In 1975 she became Assistant Minister for Urban Development and Social Welfare, the first woman to hold a ministerial post. However, she was not nominated for the March 1977 elections and lost her seat. Dovi was awarded an OBE in the

1978 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1978 were appointments by many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate t ...

. She died in September 1983 at the age of 53.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dovi, Losalini 20th-century Fijian women politicians 20th-century Fijian politicians Fijian chiefs Fijian Methodists Alliance Party (Fiji) politicians Members of the Legislative Council of Fiji Members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) Government ministers of Fiji Officers of the Order of the British Empire 1983 deaths Deaths from cancer in Fiji Fijian chiefesses