Talanoa | Employ Women, Empower the Pacific
June 26, 2025
Meet the Fiji female engineers making their mark in Marshall Islands
[August 13, 2025, by Eve Burns] Thirty years ago, the presence of a female worker in the power plants in the Marshall Islands wasn’t just unusual: It rarely occurred.
Fast-forward to 2025, and five women engineers from Fiji are working for the Marshalls Energy Company in Majuro in multiple departments, including working at the power plant, in the System Planning and Engineering Services Division, and in data analysis.
All five say their experience working in the Majuro with the government’s utility company has been “transformative” for them. But they are also having an impact on the Marshalls Energy Company (MEC) in a variety of ways, including by breaking into a traditionally male-dominated work sector.
When you see any of the women on the job or as they are clocking out, they dress just as the men do: With safety clothing and heavy boots.
Although the current crop of female engineers is from Fiji, their presence is a daily reminder to Marshallese young women that the sky is the limit when it comes to education, training and future job opportunities.
Eve Burns connected with the five young women engineers to learn more about them.
Cheryl Shirley is an electrical engineer at the MEC power plant. Cheryl said she came to the Marshall Islands on a two-year contract, unsure of exactly what to expect but eager to contribute and grow. As her time here progresses, she found a deep connection not only with the community but also with the values and challenges that shape life on the islands.
“This experience has been transformative – both professionally and personally,” she said. “Looking ahead, my plans extend beyond the original (contract) timeframe. I hope to stay longer, to continue learning, and to give back in more meaningful ways.”
Shannon Prakash has a bachelor of electrical and electronics engineering from the University of the South Pacific.
She is working at the MEC Compliance and Revenue Protection Unit as a data analyst. Utility company management said the work of this unit over the past year has resulted in an “extraordinary 60 percent reduction in system losses” by making use of advanced accounting capabilities to identify losses, theft and billing issues.
She said her aim is to constantly review herself and her performance here and see what opportunities are available after she’s completed the projects she’s working on for MEC, as well as taking into consideration the future plans and projects of MEC.
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