A Government plan of action to deal with the deplorably high rate of domestic violence in the country, will be implemented from now through to 2028.
While giving his message on International Women’s Day, Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka says there remains one area of national life involving women that brings shame to the nation.
Rabuka says many women are regularly bashed at home by their husbands, or partners, often to the point of requiring medical treatment.
Rabuka says the perpetrators make victims of the physically weak and vulnerable and destroy their own families.
He says this is a painful and difficult subject that should be dealt with by women and men together. Rabuka says in their political doctrine for a new Fiji, they are called specifically to bring this crisis to an end.
The Prime Minister says the doctrine recognizes that love in all its forms is a mighty force for progress and change.
He says motivated by this, we can stop the epidemic of brutality.
Rabuka also says despite the advances made in relation to women in the country, there are still significant challenges in the private sector such as low and discriminatory pay.
He mentioned the recent report by Professor Wadan Narsey for the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement which, disclosed that unfair and unjust treatment of women continues.
It says they get less leisure time than men, for instance, and carry a disproportionate burden of household work.
Rabuka says these issues need to be addressed, and they will be doing that with the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation taking the lead, and working closely with civil society and the commercial sector.
The Prime Minister says the National Economic Summit in April has special agenda items for Women’s Empowerment and Women in Economic Development.
Part of the summit will be devoted to topics involving the on-going digital revolution.
He says this will offer an opportunity to debate and adopt initiatives positioning women to take full advantage of this.
Rabuka emphasises that the government is committed to ensuring greater equality of access across society to opportunities, services and amenities.
The Prime Minister also says our country is at the threshold of great change.
He says we have succeeded in ridding ourselves of the fear, threats and malice that reigned for 16 years.
Rabuka stresses freedom is reborn in the land.
He says we must entrench and strengthen it, so that it becomes a permanent pillar of our society. The Prime Minister says the government and the people are taking on the task of rebuilding Fiji into a nation unified in its diversity.
He says it will take time and everyone has a part to play.
Rabuka adds that on this day, let us pledge that Fiji will ensure its women take their full place in our journey.
He says we must get rid of the obstacles the attitudes and the cruelties that confront them.
Rabuka says let their intelligence, their compassion, their energy and dedication be unleashed for the nation as never before.
