Govt spends $300 million every year on gender-based violence

The Fiji government spends $300 million every year on gender-based violence to help women who go through all sorts of challenges in their lifetime.

This was highlighted by Former Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Mereseini Raquita while addressing medical students and professionals during the launch of the “Strengthening Pacific Women's Rights to Safety and Access to Health through Survivor Centred and Evidence-Based Approaches” Project.

Rakuita says violence against women can not be a one-way tailored approach while addressing it.

She says when a woman goes through violence, the psychological trauma is worse than the physical trauma.

Rakuita says the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre is doing a great job in looking after the welfare of women and children who face habitual violence from their partners.

The Principal Medical Officer for the Emergency Department CWM Hospital Doctor Manisha Tuima says she meets survivors of domestic violence on a daily basis and it has reached a stage where patients are presented with chronic cases because of violence.

Dr Tuima says as a medical institute, they are under-trained to deal with cases like this and they are working on ways to improve this.

She says the trauma associated with these victims is a sad state of affairs and she hopes more will be done to address this issue.