ABOUT 60 women have been killed by their partners in Fiji over the past 12 years, according to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali.
And for this year alone, Ms Ali said seven women were allegedly killed by their partners.
“These are not one-off tragedies,” she said.
She said some of the men had been convicted, while other cases were still ongoing in court.
“They happen again and again and are linked to gender inequality,”
She said each death showed society’s failure to protect women.
“It reflects our collective failure — all of civil society and government — to empower women and girls.”
She said femicide, the killing of women, was becoming a serious concern in Fiji that must be addressed urgently.
She said society’s deep-rooted patriarchy was one of the main reasons for the continuing violence.
