2 out 3 of women in every church in Fiji experience domestic violence – Rev. Bhagwan

2 out of 3 women in every church in Fiji experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and there are uncomfortable truths that need to be heard and talked about in churches nowadays because it's not just for things out there.

This was highlighted by the Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary Reverend James Bhagwan while delivering his sermon during the Break the Silence Sunday at Butt Street Wesley Church.

Reverend Bhagwan says in this sacred and safe space, we have to hear about the brokenness of our world and our people which include both the victims and the perpetrators.

He says if we have a hard time talking about sexual violence perpetrated against mere human beings, then understandably we might have a hard time thinking about the sexualized connotations of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Reverend Bhagwan says if we can break the silence about what is happening in our communities, and if we can break the silence about what happened to Jesus, we can start to talk about these issues in our faith communities.

Reverend Bhagwan says he hopes that people don't only talk about Jesus Christ in their prayer breakfast but also talk about these issues.

He further shared about how men and women were crucified back in Jesus Christ’s time.

He adds they were made to carry their cross to the place of execution as a further humiliation, and then they were hung naked on the cross in public.

Reverend Bhagwan says that enforced public nakedness was a sexual assault and it still is today.

He says the humiliation of Jesus Christ is on clear display and he is able to walk without shame among us, even though he knows we have seen his naked shame.

Reverend Bhagwan says it is in God’s promise that we are urged to break the silence, remove the gags, of shame that are placed on victims of violence and instead echo their call for justice.

He adds we can only offer hope and healing if we are willing to hear and bear the burden of wounds of trauma and abuse.

Today marks the beginning of what is known as 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign used by activists around the world as an organizing strategy to call for the elimination of all forms of gender based violence. While Christian communities have supported the 16 Days of Activism in various ways, it wasn’t until 2013 that Churches began to observe Break the Silence Sunday here in Fiji and the Pacific.

This was an initiative of the Christian Network Talanoa, established in 2013.

It is a Fiji based ecumenical network of organized women and Christian women’s units working on removing the culture of silence and shame around violence against women especially in faith-based settings.

In 2016, the Fiji Council of Churches committed to observing Break the Silence Sunday.

The Pacific Conference of Churches is rolling out this campaign to all its 35 member churches and 11 National Councils of churches.