Gender-based violence is the biggest threat to human security.
Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar highlighted this at the opening of the National Consultation Workshop for Fiji National Plan for Women, Peace and Security.
Akbar says in Fiji and the Pacific, we have this as a serious issue.
She says recently at a Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Women’s meeting with all the women leaders in the region, almost every country expressed their concern about the issues that gender based violence brings to the region.
Akbar says it’s no shame to say, it’s a fact that Fiji probably ranks the highest in the region.
She says there is a lot of work that we have to do, a lot of work is being done by NGO’s and civil society organizations, but we need to elevate our efforts to ensure that we have policies and legislations that should help us combat this social crises.
Akbar acknowledged the preparations of all civil society organizations, government agencies and observers working together towards the development of Fiji’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan.
She says this will strengthen the interoperability, build the governments institutional capacity, and improve the governing effectiveness while addressing the root causes of instability.
Akbar also says in order to find the solution to any issue, we need to find the root causes.
