The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre received AUD$3 million from the Australian Government to help the centre in its work in ending violence against women and girls for the next two years, with the option to extend for a further two years.
The announcement made today, came in the wake of a visit to the FWCC by a team from the Australian High Commission led by newly appointed Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji Clair McNamara.
They met with centre coordinator Shamima Ali and toured the FWCC headquarters at 88 Gordon Street, Suva.
“We value this partnership with the Australian Government through its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which has enabled us to establish FWCC as a centre of excellence for ending violence against women and girls in the Pacific,” Ms Ali said.
She added that the Australian Government has partnered with the FWCC for the past three decades and thanked them for recognising the work of FWCC in the last 39 years and for extending the partnership.
Ms Ali said the funding will support FWCC’s work with the core business being the counselling of survivors of violence against women and girls, community education, male advocacy for women’s human rights program, sensitization and training of agencies and stakeholders, research on ending violence against women and girls and specialized legal services for survivors.
She said it would also support the Pacific Women’s Network against Violence against Women and Girls that was established in 1992 through which FWCC provides technical support on ending all forms of violence against women and girls and promoting women’s human rights in the region.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner Ms McNamara, said gender equality was central to Australia’s international development program.
“The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre is a valued partner who works tirelessly towards eliminating violence against women and girls in Fiji and the Pacific. We thank them for our ongoing partnership,” she said.
FWCC branches in Ba, Nadi, Rakiraki and Labasa are supported by the New Zealand Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
