A 21-year-old mother of a one-year-old child was murdered by her partner this year is a sad indictment of the domestic violence crisis in the country, says Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali.
She made the comment as she announced that 39 Fijian women had lost their lives over the past eight years through domestic violence.
Speaking at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women campaign yesterday, Ms Ali said most of the women were “murdered” by their partners.
She said 2019 would go down as one of the darkest years in Fijian history after 10 women were brutally killed by their partners. “Women are most at risk when they decide to leave a relationship,” she said.
Ms Ali said apart from the 21-year-old mother this year, four were killed in 2020, 10 in 2019, five in 2018, four in 2017, five in 2016, six in 2015 and four in 2014.
She said the 21-year-old who died this year was killed by her much older partner in a settlement in Vatuwaqa, Suva.
“People knew she was getting beaten up over a number of years and he had warned people not to interfere and people did not interfere and it ended in her death and that is just so very sad and tragic.
“If violence against women is not stopped, then women will continue dying at the hands of their husbands.
“So, this phrase we talked about, ‘Somebody’s life, everybody’s business’ is so important for all of us.
“Do not be a spectator, stop being a bystander. We have to all intervene when it happens because it’s about somebody’s life.”
