Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has highlighted to more than fifty women parliamentarians in the Pacific that the crisis of domestic violence must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Speaking at the opening of the Pacific Women Parliamentarians Partnership Forum, Bainimarama says for too long, Fijian society which is also common with other Pacific societies, has turned a blind eye to what goes on in the privacy of people’s home.
He says people have tolerated and even encouraged a culture in which spouses or partners are entitled to use violence to resolve disputes or bring supposedly errant family members into line.
Bainimarama says at a government level, they have zero tolerance for domestic violence in Fiji.
He says it is not acceptable - full stop.
Bainimarama also had a message for all men.
In Fiji, the domestic violence law allows any person to apply for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order.
Bainimarama says any such application is regarded with utmost seriousness and dealt with a matter of urgency.
The forum continues until Friday.
