The Nakaile village in Tokatoka district, Tailevu yesterday witnessed the unveiling of a monument that will always remind the villagers of their commitment towards protecting women and children.
Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation Dr Jiko Luveni, while unveiling the new billboard said the monument represents the government’s vision of creating a just and equal society for ordinary Fijians.
This event also marked the successful completion of 12 months of awareness programs that has provided Nakaile villagers with information and training programs to stop violence against women and children.
This has been achieved through the implementation of 10 phases of the Zero Tolerance Violence Free Community Campaign, which is spearheaded by the Minister.
Dr Luveni also thanked the male leaders in Nakaile for being the champions of the violence free campaign.
“I must commend the men of Nakaile for changing their attitude towards women and children, this has created unity among men and women as being each-others greatest strength in overcoming the various challenges in life. The awareness programs encourage them to equally share responsibilities in looking after the wellbeing of their families and also to set good examples for their children, Dr Luveni said.
“Strengthened communication in families has also seen children excel in their academic performances. “We have been made in the image of God, therefore we must learn to respect, appreciate and care for each other to build a truly prosperous nation,” she added.
The Nakaile Women’s Club president Makelesi Leweni spoke highly about the positive changes now felt in their community.
“We have received reports that there are husbands who assist their wives with household chores. This is even noticed during village gatherings-men are willingly assisting women. A support system is now in place, there are dedicated committee members who are readily available to assist women. The gatekeepers committee actively works with police in ensuring that women and children are always protected,” Mrs Makalesi said.
“There are 200 women in this village who are mostly market vendors, they sell fish and are able to earn around $50 per week to support their families. Through our meeting with Dr Luveni’s here today our women’s club had the opportunity to request for Ministry’s assistance to help us buy a deep freezer so that we can store and sell more fish-thereby boosting the income earnings for Nakaile women.”
The village headman Eroni Raseru expressed similar sentiments, “We praise the government for bringing these programs to our village, for having an open dialogue with us that has opened up new opportunities to uplift the lives of my people. The violence free campaign will continue to be deeply cherished by the people of Nakaile.”
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