Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation and FWCC launches National Action Plan to prevent violence against women and girls

The Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation in collaboration with the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre today launched the Fiji National Action Plan to prevent domestic violence against women and girls in Fiji.

While officiating at the launch, FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali says this momentous occasion is a true testament to the dedication and the hardwork of women's rights activists who have been fighting tirelessly about gender equality and women's rights in Fiji, around the Pacific and around the world.

Ali says the collective courage, resilience and strength shown as feminists is shaking the very pillars of patriarchy and is making significant progress.

She says this occasion is an act to dismantle the root causes of violence against all women and girls.

Ali adds this initiative will not stop until all women and girls in Fiji live free from fear and violence.

While speaking from Samoa in a video message, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the statistics and numbers of women and girls who are victims of domestic violence in Fiji is horrific and are in national disgrace.

He says in Fiji, at least 3 in 5 women or 60 percent of women have faced some form of domestic violence while 1 in 5 women have faced sexual harassment at their workplaces.

He adds most of them pretend that everything is OK but are suffering behind closed doors.

Rabuka says when this National Action Plan was tabled in cabinet, it was approved without any hesitation.

He adds this plan is a comprehensive road map towards change, placing prevention at its core and urging implementation of measure to actively address violence at its roots.