There is a need to provide postpartum support for women, says Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran.
She said even though this was an area of great concern, there wasn’t a lot of research done on the topic.
“There’s no research available,” she said.
“I had asked the permanent secretary for the Minister for Health last year for this. They do talk about some admissions and some depression, but there is no research data done. However, I’ve been trying to ask the workplaces to think about, how do we make women’s mental health an issue or awareness around it.
“Some of the resort managers have talked to me about how postpartum depression actually has been recognised as a big factor where they lose women from the workforce and women who’ve gone through it to talk about struggles, about three to nine months.
“Some women don’t come out of it, was somehow prolonged because there is no recognition of the issue. And there is no support available for that issue.
“In villages, it is becoming very prominent, and even on the streets, we’re seeing women with mental health issues and some with children. But it’s an issue that we haven’t paid attention to.”
Ms Kiran said in many instances, women who were giving birth and not feeling supported might be going through this, and paying attention to the issue might help them.
“So, there’s an urgent need for this conversation on postpartum depression, in workplaces, in our communities, in our families. And one thing I beg of Fiji is, let’s stop making fun if you see a woman going through hell.
“Can we find help instead of ridiculing these women? Then at workplaces also there are other issues like aging, women aging and having health issues, menopause and related issues, things that every woman goes through, or many women go through.
“It’s amazingly not part of our daily conversations but this is a very real issue and I’ve called and spoken with the Employers Federation, I’m speaking with other parties to see how some of these organisations can pay attention to the issue and make it an awareness or consciousness around their workplaces.”
