A VERY big vinaka vakalevu to Jioji Cakacaka who wrote a great letter as a male advocate representative in Nadi recently (FT 11/07/16). What does EVAWG stand for please?

I utterly applaud this man’s evidence, and also the sound advice of Shamima Ali, Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre co-ordinator in today’s paper.

Fiji needs to address the underlying attitudes to women and girls with an intentional education program that starts from kindergarten level, through the primary curriculum, and right through secondary to instil in everyone the appropriate attitudes to women and girls, as sisters, daughters and co-fellow human beings, equal in value to men and boys, not mere sexual objects to be kept down, used, and put down, in any way, shape or form, ever, by any single person.

This starts with adult education too, and legislation that supports such changes. Our PM, on a world stage, also advocates an end to this perversity.

If not, this will continue to be reflected in the misogyny/hatred of women, that is way out of hand in this country, where more than 64 per cent of all women who have ever been in an intimate relationship have already experienced physical and or sexual violence by a husband or male partner in their lifetime. (From, “Somebody’s Life is Everyone’s Business”/National Research on Women’s Health and Life Experience in Fiji 2010/11.)

What an appalling statistic Fiji. Let’s be heard about this. Tell, don’t hide this evil. It must stop.

Everyone and anyone not telling is wrong, regardless of their social status.

These repeated acts of pure violence and sexual abuse are reflected in our daily The Fiji Times.

What an indictment against us all. And these statistics are five-six years old. Nothing has changed today. Unless you and I make it change.

Every space must be a safe space.

For your daughter, sister, niece, wife, girlfriend, cousin, aunty, nana, girl, woman, friend.