Government has established the Domestic Violence Act and reforms in the Crimes Act to better address the gaps in dealing with gender based violence which provides for justice for survivors and rehabilitation/punishment of perpetrators.
Speaking at the Workshop on Addressing Domestic Violence and Gender Justice during COVID 19, Minister for Women Hon. Mereseini Vuniwaqa said that "while the COVID19 crisis affects everyone, women and girls face specific and often disproportionate economic, health, and social risks due to deeply entrenched inequalities, social norms, and unequal power relations”.
“Government funds the operations of toll free helplines to make reporting easier and I encourage the use of our Child Helpline 1325 and Domestic Violence Helpline 1560, whereby callers are assisted through a referral system for cases of violence and abuse against women and children," Minister Vuniwaqa said.
Minister Vuniwaqa added Fiji is the first country in the Pacific and one of the only two countries globally to have a National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against all Women and Girls.
Around 60 participants from different religious groups, members of government and non-government organisations will part-take in the three day workshop which began yesterday.
Minister Vuniwaqa said the purpose of the workshop is to address the current issues of gender justice with specific reference to domestic violence during these COVID times.
“The issue of gender based violence in Fiji is already a matter of grave concern as Fiji’s statistics on Violence against Women rates amongst the highest in the world.”
Minister Vuniwaqa urged Fijians to not turn a blind eye when they see abuse happening.
“Sexual abuse and domestic violence are criminal acts and it is not a personal matter. If you see it happening, report it.”