AN emerging drug crisis is putting more young girls at risk of pregnancy, trafficking and exploitation, says Women Minister Sashi Kiran.
Speaking at the launch of the Empower Pacific National Shelter for Domestic Violence in Lautoka on Friday, Ms Kiran said authorities were increasingly encountering children affected by drugs and other forms of exploitation.
She said a recent street sweep in Lautoka resulted in a 16-year-old girl who was pregnant and had been living on the streets “for some time” being taken into care.
“We have not been able to reintegrate her back into her family – she’s 16, about to deliver,” she said.
Ms Kiran said girls as young as 13, 14 and 15 were becoming pregnant in the Lautoka and Nadi areas and were also being drawn into trafficking.
“We have a new emerging crisis of sorts of what’s happened to our girls in relation to drugs.”
She said the situation highlighted the need for greater emphasis on parenting and community support.
“We are failing our children at the parenting and at the community level.”
She said the role of facilities such as the new shelter had expanded beyond addressing domestic violence.
“Five years ago, and 10 years ago, we were only talking about domestic violence. Now we have to think about a much bigger net.”
“Children are impacted because their parents are doing drugs or they have been pushed into drugs.”
She said some children were also being lured into employment at a young age, with jobs that appeared legal but had illegal activities behind them.
