‘The new Fiji must have a violent-free environment so that our women can be free to work, learn and develop as well’

What stands before us now is the need to be proactive on issues of  preventing violence against women.

This were the words of Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa during the opening of the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) Inter-Agency Taskforce meeting in Suva, yesterday.

“These women are subjected to unacceptable violence, including physical, sexual or emotional violence.

“Preventing violence against women is not the core business of any single agency, government or non-government,” Mrs Vuniwaqa said.

“It has to be addressed collaboratively on a partnership basis with the participating agencies sharing their expertise and resources.

“By co-ordinating service delivery to produce the best outcomes of violence,” she said.

Mrs Vuniwaqa said our Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has labelled violence against women as a national shame and that is a symptom of gender inequality.

“The new Fiji must have a violent free environment so that our women can be free to work, learn and develop as well.

“Our aim, as we progress the work of crucial taskforce, therefore, should be to address the social conditions that influence and permit gendered violence,” she said.

Mrs Vuniwaqa has reminded the participants that the role of an inter-agency is to ensure the effective implementations of laws surrounding and violence against women.

A Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) survey says 64 per cent of the women in Fiji are victims of domestic violence every year.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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