Fiji has marked the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls
on 25 November.
The Fijian government said the day is
a reminder that for too many women and girls, violence is a
daily reality – not a headline or a statistic.
The day
also kicks off 16 days of activism against gender-based
violence – a worldwide UN campaign running from 25 November
to 10 December.
The country’s Minister for Women,
Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran told parliament
this week violence against women and girls is not limited to
the private sphere – “it permeates every dimension of
society”.
“Addressing this issue is therefore not only
a woman’s matter; it is a national priority – requiring
engagement from every sector, every institution and every
leader in our country.
“It manifests in various forms
including physical, emotional, sexual and economic abuse as
well as harmful practices such as trafficking.”
She
said the cost of violence against females is estimated to be
equivalent to seven per cent of Fiji’s gross domestic
product (GDP), affecting families, the health system,
productivity and the nation’s development.
“The cost
of violence is not only emotional – it is
national.”
She pointed out several statistics,
including that around 60 percent of Fijian women have
experienced some form of violence in their lifetime; girls
as young as 13 remain the most vulnerable to sexual assault;
and from 2020-2024, more than 4000 child sexual offences
were reported – most involving young girls.
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“Our
response must be survivor-centred, and above all accessible
to everyone – including women and girls with disabilities
and those from diverse sexual orientations and gender
identities.”
In the World Health Organisation’s (WHO)
Western Pacific Region, more than a quarter of girls and
women experience some form of intimate partner or sexual
violence.
But WHO said in several Pacific island
countries and areas, the prevalence of lifetime intimate
partner violence is as high as one in two women.
WHO’s
western Pacific director, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, said
governments and communities must use data to drive stronger
policies, scale up prevention efforts, and invest in health
system readiness, “so every girl is protected and woman is
empowered”.
WHO said while the numbers are grim, a
survey on ‘health system readiness to respond to
interpersonal violence’ pointed to an encouraging policy
environment.
“Many countries are integrating
strategies to prevent violence against women and girls into
their national multisectoral plans, and acknowledging the
key role that health systems must play in tackling this
societal problem.
“However, the survey also highlights
challenges in implementing these strategies.”
It’s not
all bad news in the region though – Cook Islands Police have
reported a decrease in the number of assault cases against
women this
year.
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