Violence against women and girls remains the most pervasive human rights violation around the world with detrimental effects on the social, economic well-being of individuals, communities and countries.
This was highlighted by Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya during the launch of the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against All Women and Girls (NAP) 2023 to 2028.
Ms Tabuya said Fiji, was the second country in the world after Australia, to adopt the NAP aimed at preventing gender-based violence.
The launch was a significant milestone in fulfilling a 2018 recommendation put forth by the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee to the government of Fiji.
Over 13 settings across Fiji’s four division were consulted both in-person and virtually which sought input from over 2100 women, men and youths.
Ms Tabuya acknowledged the work done by former ministers for Women, Mereseini Rakuita and Rosy Akbar for their steadfast commitment in laying the groundwork for NAP.
She also thanked women’s rights, civil society, faith-based organisations, gender-based violence service providers in Fiji for their dedication over decades in shedding light on the extent of violence against women and girls into the forefront of public.
“Violence against women and girls is both a symptom and a cause of gender inequality — and equality is at the heart of the solution,” she said.
“For all women and girls to be safe, they must be equal.
“It is therefore crucial to address the root cause of violence against all women and girls; patriarchy; that encompasses gender discriminatory social, traditional, religious norms and practices that perpetuate such violence.
“The NAP, therefore, centres on dismantling the culture of patriarchy and the pillars of gender inequality across all aspects of our society.” Earlier in March this year, the ministry launched the Fiji Country Gender Assessment (FCGA) which is a comprehensive analysis of the status of women and girls in Fiji.
The FCGA would enable all government agencies, along with partnerships with all relevant stakeholders, to track progress, identify and create evidence-based solutions to barriers that affect women and girls.
The report says more than four in 10 women experience severe physical violence in Fiji, which, Ms Tabuya cited as a worrying trend in the country.
It also stated two out of every three women in Fiji have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a male intimate partner in their lifetime, while one in three women has been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence from a man who is not their partner.
Ms Tabuya said moving forward, she hoped both the FCGA and the NAP was a ‘wake up call’ for all Fijians from all walks of life to come together and create a new normal, where women, men, girls, and boys in all diversity are respected and treated as equals.
“A national crisis of such proportions deserves nothing less than the highest attention of all of us.
“We stand united in our unwavering dedication to creating a future where the aspirations of all Fijian women and girls are not only acknowledged but fully realized.”
While delivering his keynote address, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Prof Biman Prasad said the NAP signified the commitment of the Government of Fiji to protect the rights, safety, and well-being of women and girls of Fiji in all their diversity.
“The Government of Fiji recognises that violence against women and girls of Fiji in all diversity is not a one-off issue confined to individual acts of aggression with individual interventions,” Prof Prasad said.
“It is in fact a manifestation of systemic gender inequalities deeply rooted in our society which affects all of us.
“This NAP also offers us a moment to reflect deeply and confirms that the root cause of violence against women and girls of Fiji – is gender inequality, and the abuse of power and control over women, by men.
“It is also known as patriarchy.”
He said as a whole-of-government initiative, ministries across the board would lead and implement their own actions as outlined in the NAP.
“By strengthening the accountability infrastructure and mechanisms with a focus on Gender Responsive Budgeting, we can create a robust foundation with tangible financial resources that supports the effective roll out of the NAP and maximises its impact.
“This ensures that resources across all government agencies are targeted and utilised with evidence-based approaches to curbing gender-based violence before it starts. Only together can we shape gender equality into reality, where every individual can live a life free from violence, discrimination, and fear.”
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) coordinator Shamima Ali said NAP served as a true testament to the dedication and hard work of women’s rights activists who have been fighting tirelessly for equality and women’s rights in Fiji and around the world.
“From now onwards we embark on a journey, whole-of-government, wholeof-population, that must not cease until every Fijian woman and girls is free from violence,” she said.
“We have worked tirelessly for over four years, amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic to reach this pivotal moment.”
She congratulated the Fiji government in accepting patriarchy as the root cause of violence against women.
She said this was the first time for a Fijian government to do that.
“And we will continue until every woman and girl in all diversity can live free from fear violence and fright.”
She said there was a need to teach children that violence was never the solution and “together as a nation to continue to promote human rights of all women and girls whilst dismantling the fears of patriarchy”.
At the launch, five key settings — education, sports and recreation, informal sector, faith and traditional institutions committed to tangible actions with milestones for the first 18 months of implementation.
This included the Ministry of Youth and Sports, iTaukei Affairs and Education — who all pledged to adapt, accelerate safeguarding initiatives and create safe entry points for all women and girls in each ministry across the country.
