With the objective of preparing communities to understand the root causes and reporting procedures of the Domestic Violence Decree and Child Welfare Decree, the Ministry of Women in partnership with the Fiji Police and Legal Aid Commission is maximizing community awareness programs in the maritime zone.
This week the Ministry organised 2 sets of awareness programs in Levuka; the first training was held at Vatukalo village and the second one was held at the Lomaiviti Provincial office. The 2 day-training started on Tuesday and there were 30 participants in each of the trainings.
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation permanent secretary Dr Josefa Koroivueta said that communities in rural and maritime areas need continued awareness and advocacy to enable them to respond effectively to cases of domestic violence.
“The 2 days training in Vatukalo will provide an opportunity for the villagers to understand the determinants of domestic violence and child welfare issues. It will enable the participants to acquire information on reporting procedures for Domestic Violence Decree and Child Welfare Decree.
“The awareness program will be an eye opener for this community to realize the effects of domestic violence and identify ways to curb these problems in their own homes and society. The workshop also encourages the participants to become the advocates of violence free communities,” Dr Koroivueta said.
The stakeholders training on Gender Based Violence was the first for Levuka and the primary objective has been to empower relevant stakeholders to clearly understand the dynamics of gender violence and contribute effectively towards the implementation of Zero Tolerance Violence Free Community Campaign.
While speaking about the benefits of the training, Lomaiviti’s assistant district officer Atunaisa Veiqaravi said that the training is informative and looks not only at Decrees but also creates discussions on topics like positive parenting.
“At the end of the training the stakeholders were able to put together a consolidated work plan that each one of them will take back and implement in their communities. It has also enabled the male participants to reflect on ways they can promote gender equality in their homes and communities. We hope to work with the Ministry in replicating similar awareness programs for other communities in the Lomaiviti and eastern division,” Mr Veiqaravi added.
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