Minister Kiran calls for urgent action to protect girls

Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran, has called for stronger community and institutional action to protect girls, highlighting alarming statistics on violence, teenage pregnancy and school dropouts.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Ms Kiran said the International Day of the Girl Child, commemorated globally on October 11, was marked for the first time by her ministry this year to draw attention to the challenges faced by girls across the country.

“The day reminds us that our girls are not waiting to become Fiji’s future; they are already shaping our present,” Ms Kiran said.

“Too many of them are unsafe, unprotected, and denied opportunities.”

According to figures from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, eight girls under 15 became mothers in the first six months of 2024, while another 481 aged between 15 and 19 gave birth.

Between 2020 and 2024, of the 7283 crimes reported against children, 70 per cent involved girls. Most of them were sexual offences.

Ms Kiran described the situation as unacceptable, saying “no child should live in fear of abuse and no girl should lose the opportunity to grow to her full potential”.

The ministry co-ordinated activities across all four divisions in partnership with the Ministry of Education and other agencies.

Events at Nakavika Primary in Namosi, Labasa College, schools across Kadavu, and Koroipita in the Western Division included awareness programmes on teenage pregnancy, early marriage, and leadership.

Ms Kiran said education remained the greatest tool for empowerment, yet many girls were still falling through the cracks.

Rural dropout rates between Year 8 and Year 12 were almost 40 per cent, compared with a national average of 20 per cent.

She urged continued investment in girls’ education, protection, and inclusion, saying Fiji must “stand with girls and invest in a future that believes in their agency and potential”.