The presence of a strong feminist movement or women’s movement within civil society can have a positive impact on in-country reporting on violence against women and girls (VAWG).

This is stated in the report Mapping the Nexus Between Media Reporting of Violence Against Girls released by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

“In Fiji, strong civil society organisations (CSOs) working on gender equality have been instrumental in holding the government accountable and in promoting a ‘watchdog’ status for news media,” states the report.

“Reportedly, the coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre has made herself available to the media for expert opinions and information as and when required, which has greatly enhanced the scope and quality of reporting of VAWG cases.

“Feminist journalists and gender editors in the country say that the movement (of which they consider themselves a part) has bolstered their efforts within media organisations to improve GBV (gender-based violence) reporting practices.

“Stakeholders also flagged the power of ‘high-impact’ cases, noting that these can propel decisive shifts in the gender justice and VAWG discourse in general, and in reporting dynamics in particular.”