VICTIMS of gender-based violence in Fiji are not fully supported by the police and relevant stakeholders.
Selita Tikobua, team leader of the Intergenerational Women’s Leadership Program at the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, said despite the implementation of the no-drop policy, the issue persisted.
The policy mandates that the police investigate all reported domestic violence cases and proceed to charge perpetrators when there is sufficient evidence, removing police discretion to allow cases to be reconciled or withdrawn by victims.
“We have adopted the no-drop policy and included it in our national action plan,” Ms Tikobua said.
“However, women who report gender-based violence are often not fully attended to by the relevant stakeholders, including the police.”
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said officers received training at all levels.
“And again we have processes in place to deal with officers’ conduct if a person feels that the conduct of the officer is unprofessional, or in breach of processes and procedures,” he said.
But Ms Tikobua said procedural challenges victims faced, such as needing to report through village leaders (turaga ni koro) before accessing police services, hindered timely support.
Ms Tikobua also noted geographical disparities in service coverage, with many civil society organisations (CSOs) focusing primarily on central and western regions, leaving those in maritime and interior areas underserved.
“We thank the CSOs for their great work, but often the people in maritime and interior areas are left out.
“They miss out on accessing and sharing information about the services and support available.”
To address these gaps, she recommended leveraging existing community feedback mechanisms, such as those co-ordinated by the Fiji Council of Social Services and district councils, to improve reporting and referral systems for victims.
“These platforms allow community members to report issues, which then helps the Fiji Council of Social Services respond and refer cases appropriately.”
