In the first nine months of this year, nine women in Fiji have died as a result of intimate partner violence, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Hon. Sashi Kiran told Parliament during her ministerial statement this morning.
“These are not just statistics, these are lives. Mothers, daughters, sisters, gone because of violence that could have been prevented,” Ms Kiran said.
She also highlighted the staggering economic cost of gender-based violence in the country, revealing it drains an estimated $300 million annually from Fiji’s economy.
“That’s $300 million we lose every year, through lost productivity, medical costs, legal processes, and the long-term social impacts.”
“Violence against women and girls is not just a social issue; it is a governance and economic crisis,” the Minister said.
Fiji has one of the highest recorded rates of violence against women in the world, with research showing that two out of every three Fijian women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
To address the crisis, the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls (2023–2028) was approved by Cabinet in May 2023 and launched the following month. The plan is the first prevention-focused national framework of its kind in the Pacific.
“We can’t just wait for violence to happen and then respond. We must stop it before it starts,” Ms Kiran said.
The action plan involves coordination across government ministries, civil society, traditional structures, and faith-based groups to create long-term, systemic change.
“I urge all Honourable Members to take this message to your communities. Preventing violence is a shared responsibility and the cost of inaction is simply too high,” she told Parliament.
