Forty women from across the region are currently taking part in the Regional Training Programme organised by Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

The month-long training in Suva will equip the women on how to stop violence against women, help promote gender awareness, prevent child abuse, cybercrime and sexual harassment and so on.

Centre co-ordinator Shamima Ali said the training would assist participants in eliminating violence against women in their country.

“It will assist them to focus and learn more strategies. We are targeting to introduce something new this year, like cybercrime so that they become more aware on what happens on social media, problems like bullying and how people can overcome such situation,” Ms Ali said.

Tonga’s Women and Children Crisis Centre executive, Ofa Ki-Muli-Taungamanu said the training would help their women know their rights.

“Tonga has come across cases in domestic violence. People do not believe that Tonga does not have cases like domestic violence, but we do have cases and that is why I want to help women who are suffering.”

Ms Taungamanu said women in Tonga needed to learn and stand up for their rights and should exercise them.

The acting deputy chief executive officer of the Division for Women Affairs in Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tupouhau Fakakorikaetau, said one of their biggest problems was gender-based violence.

Participants from Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Marshall Islands and Fiji, are part of the training.

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