President Jioji Konrote says violence against women and children is illegal, immoral and can never be justified.
He made this comment while speaking at ‘Man Up Fiji Campaign’ at Albert Park which is promoting male advocacy for the elimination of gender-based violence.
Konrote says that apology does not fix violence and that people who contributed to violence will be punished by law.
He says that a report from the Fiji Womens Crisis Center titled “Somebody’s right, everybody’s business” revealed that 72% of Fijian women experience one or more types of violence through their lifetime.
This offence is committed by either their husband or their intimate partner which includes physical, emotional and sexual violence.
The Fiji Police Force 2016 report revealed that there were 1,904 cases of physical violence and around 500 cases of sexual offences against women.
Konrote adds that men need to play a role in preventing violence against women and there should not be any confusion about why men should aggravate on womens right to a life as they should be free of discrimination and violence.
Meanwhile, Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa had earlier said in a statement that the ‘Man up Fiji” campaign aims to involve more males in the fight towards the prevention of gender inequality particularly violence against women and children.
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