FIRSTLY, the focus and resources applied to addressing gender inequality and the horrific violence against women is completely justified.

It is our view that in fact the focus and resources should be increased further to address the urgency and demand we face.

So grave is this problem that thankfully the Government is now taking notice.

On top of this other NGOs and international resources are being deployed to support Fiji’s effort to address what the Prime Minister calls “our national shame”.

We are grateful our politicians and police are getting on board, making pronouncements and commitments to address this issue, but the struggle continues to adequately resource measures to respond.

Women, who for years have struggled to get visibility for what the world recognises as a critical human rights violation, find it completely disingenuous for some men to call foul and argue against the allocation of resources that may allow women to enjoy the same safety, security and human rights as men.

The undisputed and growing mass of evidence from Fiji and around the world show that rates of women’s participation in leadership and decision making, rates of pay, remuneration and experiences of violence are — unquestionably — completely different to men.

In contrast, men have enjoyed entitlement and privileges in all these areas simply due to the fact they were born male.

Life as a woman or girl is vastly different and shaped by their disproportionate lack of access to human rights and freedoms, with violence (physical, sexual and emotional) impacting on them from an early age. Their health, wellbeing, social status and economic empowerment are intrinsically shaped by their experience of violence and inequality.

Not for one moment do I suggest there are not some cases where women would seek to argue, harangue or even hit a male partner.

It is, however, nonsense, to suggest this violence is somehow comparable to the terror, torture and trauma experienced by many thousands of women every single day.

It is ridiculous to compare women’s violence in ferocity, prevalence or extent of control to gendered violence where men rape, torture and control women, girls and children treating them both as possessions and as domestic slaves for years.

I would furthermore like to correct an underlying assumption made by some of the men interviewed for your article and clarify a well-worn myth for all men and specifically for those men contemplating using violence against a woman or girl.

No one can say that men don’t feel sad, disappointed, stressed, angry or outraged. Men and women both can feel this way at different times during their lives but no matter how badly a man may feel there is never ever any justification for them to harm or kill a woman or a child.

So many of the women we support tell us that their violent partners used how they felt as excuses to justify the violence.

The choice to react or act on one’s own frustration lies with the perpetrator. This violence does not occur due to some automatic consequence or tipping point that men have.

If men can control their anger and frustration at work and with their friends or in other social settings, then why not at home?

The frustration defence is never accepted as an excuse for violent criminality. Women are not responsible for being bashed or sexually attacked and it continually amazes me how they are blamed over and over again. It is a mind-set we must get over and stop blaming victims for men’s violence.

Lastly, the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre is a service for women and we are experts in this area providing support, counselling, resources and referral to women experiencing domestic and sexual violence.

We have had some men and boys report to us and we have helped where we can and referred men to others who would be more appropriate to assist. We don’t ignore men or boys and will continue to work with men’s groups, sporting clubs and government agencies to educate men in male advocacy for women’s human rights and to help men challenge violent behaviours and attitudes.

Men can play an important role in the prevention of violence against women and our Male Advocacy for Women’s Human Rights program has been operating for many years and accredited around the Pacific as being the best of its type in the region.

For very good reasons, as I have stated, FWCC does not see ourselves as leading the provision of men’s counselling but will continue to offer our advice and experience to those who will develop programs to assist men in dealing with violence in their relationships.

We advocate for women and our focus will remain on women’s experiences of violence and breaches of their human rights and safety.

* Shamima Ali is the Coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre. The views expressed are not of this newspaper.