Fijians have been urged not to turn away from social problems around them.

The Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar, made this comment on Wednesday during the launch of the Gender Transformative Institutional Capacity Development (ICD) Booklet at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.

She encouraged Fijians to report violence against women and children.

“If a fellow Fijian is being hurt, injured, or a victim of domestic violence, you are part of the solution,” she said.

“Don’t turn a blind eye to any situation, do not ignore the social problem by saying it is not your business.”

Ms Akbar said domestic violence was one of the biggest challenges that Fijian women faced.

“We cannot sort of push aside one of the biggest challenges Fijian women are facing and that is domestic violence,” she said.

“Sixty-four per cent of women suffering intimate partner violence is just not on. One woman suffering is not on, one woman getting injured is not on because we know domestic violence affects children and it affects families.”

Ms Akbar also revealed they were expecting to launch their National Action Plan (NAP) next month.

They hope the plan would address domestic violence.

“So we are on the completion stage of our NAP consultations and validation programme,” the minister said.

“The NAP will be developed after hearing from all sectors of our society. We are taking every effort through this NAP to stop violence before it happens.”

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