The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has called on the Government to urgently address gender-related issues by reviewing and enhancing existing national mechanisms, and, where necessary, developing and implementing new initiatives to accelerate progress towards gender parity.
In its presentation to the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW Committee this week, the Commission says they acknowledge the actions the Government has taken in advancing the rights of women and girls.
Commission Director Loukinikini Lewaravu says however, the increased gender-based violence, and the continuing gender gaps, inequality, and inequities across various sectors demonstrate persistent societal or cultural barriers, discriminatory norms and values, and systemic biases which resist and challenge the empowerment of women and girls.
She says the Commission also called on the Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to CEDAW at the earliest.
The Commission has recommended during the Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW Committee that the State to should facilitate support for children who are unable to attend school for not having birth certificates.
They recommend that the State to put in place measures for Gender quotas - a certain percentage should be allocated to women candidates; reform the Electoral system and provide capacity building and awareness to encourage more women to take up leadership roles.
They say in light of the continued prevalence of cyberbullying cases, the Commission recommends strengthening existing online safety legislation to ensure more effective protection and enforcement.
The Commission is urging both the State and private or community actors to actively promote awareness among women and girls about the risks of cervical cancer.
Lewaravu says it is essential to address and dismantle cultural barriers that hinder open dialogue on reproductive health rights.
She says they also call on the State to invest in upgrading oncology units across all public hospitals to ensure timely and effective treatment for women diagnosed with cancer, thereby preventing avoidable deaths.
They recommend the State to strengthen the enforcement of the Employment Relations Act 2007 to promote fair treatment at workplace and to address workplace discrimination.
They recommend the State to strengthen mechanisms to identify, protect, and assist victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation and to provide them with legal support.
They call on the State to strengthen its data collection mechanisms to support evidence-based policy making that is also rights-based to ensure that all women and girls benefit from targeted initiatives aimed at achieving gender equality and equity.
They are also calling on the State to take necessary measures to repeal all laws and policies that unlawfully restrict the fundamental rights of freedom of association and assembly to bring them into compliance with Fiji’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
They say the State must take measures to implement the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders at the national level to ensure that human rights defenders can freely carry out their legitimate activities.
The Commission says the State must ensure responses to disaster risk reduction and climate take a human rights-based approach with an emphasis on women's participation.
They say there should be a collective effort from the Government, NGOs/CSOs, and other stakeholders to conduct awareness to dispel the misconceptions about human rights and the conflicting values of human rights, religion and culture.
The Commission is urging the State to continue to support the Commission to become fully compliant with the Paris Principles and to provide the Commission with an adequate budget and resources to carry out its mandated functions effectively.
They add the Commission remains committed to working with the Government, civil society organizations, NGOs, and the wider communities in monitoring the implementation and impact of CEDAW in the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls.
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