The establishment of a Domestic Violence helpline has been handed over to the Fiji Women Crisis Centre (FWCC) to manage.

The Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Dr Josefa Koroivueta signed an agreement with the centre yesterday.

The number will be confirmed next week.

Outgoing Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Rosy Akbar said: “It has been a Fijian Government commitment to set up the 24-hour toll free telephone assistance to victims/survivors of domestic violence.

“With the Domestic Violence Helpline in place, we will continue to break down the silence on violence against women and girls.

“The Domestic Violence Helpline will provide a central and single point of referral, relieving victims/survivors of the complexity, burden and stress of sourcing appropriate and responsive services,” she said.

Ms Akbar said the centre had worked tirelessly for the past 32 years with the goal to eliminate violence against women in Fiji and throughout the Pacific region.

“FWCC has an integrated and comprehensive programme designed to both prevent and respond to violence, by reducing individual and institutional tolerance of violence against women, and increasing the availability of appropriate services for survivors,” she said.

The centre’s counsellor supervisor, Farzana Rahim, said: “Domestic violence is not just a slap! Many women living with violence are subjected to torture in their own homes, including intense and repeated attacks, multiple types of physical and sexual abuse, humiliating emotional abuse, and high levels of coercive control by their husbands or partners.

“The Domestic Violence Helpline is not only about responding to a phone call.

“A host of support services will need to be mobilised and prepared for referrals that will inevitably happen: the Police, health system, social welfare agencies and the judiciary.”

Ms Rahim said these services would need to respond appropriately and effectively to survivors who will be referred to them.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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