Coups d’etat are major events that gain the attention of governments and citizens alike. As a result, the international media become saturated with stories surrounding them – and most of those stories are about men. This article examines how women were portrayed by the press in the aftermath of the Fijian coups and relates their stories as they appeared in the daily papers. By analysing the Fiji Times and the Fiji Sun for twelve days following three of the coups, evidence will show that Fiji’s press has begun to recognise the role played by women as decision-makers and human rights activists and that, during these times of crisis, they moved from the periphery of the news in 1987 to play a more central role in 2000 and 2006.