Including men and boys in discussions surrounding the prevention of violence against women and girls is key in the fight against such abuse, says Fiji Police Force deputy Divisional Police Commander (DPC) Aisake Tukaha Kafoa. While opening a national cross gender dialogue on “Promoting Gender-Transformative Changes Amongst Men and Boys in Oceania” in Nadi, he said police supported the inclusive approach.
“The Fiji Police Force shares the belief that prevention work or stopping violence is the most strategic approach to ending violence against women and girls and other vulnerable members of society,” he said.
Deputy DPC Kafoa said the best way to do that was through the engagement of men and boys in dialogue spaces.
“The Fiji Police Force does not have the answers.
“In fact we are at the receiving end, after a crime is committed.
“Ideally, what we need is to have answers as to why the crimes were committed in the first place, and forums such as this are able to use dialogue as a tool for meaningful conversations, it is indeed welcoming from our perspective.”
The forum, organised by Transcend Oceania, included 30 leaders and representatives of faith-based communities, women’s and men’s groups, civil society, non-government organisations, government and inter- governmental organisations from the Western, Northern and Central Eastern divisions.
The three-day exercise centred on the theme “Promoting Gender-Transformative Changes Amongst Men and Boys in Oceania”.
