Our cybercrime and online safety laws are not sufficient to protect a woman and needs a thorough review, according to Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya.
While speaking during the Speaker's Debate on Women's Public Leadership, Tabuya shared her personal experience dealing with the allegations of an affair with a fellow Minister and allegations of drug use which she says led to her removal as deputy leader of her party.
She says while they were merely allegations, she had to endure attacks on social media vilifying her, and labelled as the Minister for Bonking and Weed by certain social media influencers in an attempt to character assassinate her as a woman whereas her counterpart facing the allegations did not have any repercussions from his party.
Tabuya says a woman is attacked ten times more than her male counterpart online.
She says this acts as a deterrent for women to step into public life, to effectively participate in public decision making, and to have a pathway to national leadership.
The Minister says just remember, if it can happen to her, it can happen to you and this needs to change.
She says the laws should be reviewed to give the Online Safety Commission powers to investigate and prosecute perpetrators, as well as being able to do this across international borders when the attackers are located in another country. Tabuya says we must tackle the issue of tech-facilitated gender-based violence and equip Fijian women, as well as leaders, with information and defence mechanisms.
She says most importantly, we must ensure the protection and prosecution of perpetrators.
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