Stop the carnage!

As Parliament observed a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives to domestic violence, questions are being asked on why 2 out of 3 men in this country think its okay to mistreat their partners, how can we as a society justify such behaviour from our men, what can we do to hold abusive partners accountable and do we call out our friends and family members we know are abusive to their family members.

Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran posed these questions in her ministerial statement in Parliament where she highlighted that over the weekend we had 3 tragic deaths where 2 women lost their lives to partner violence - Sainimere Tuinasakea, a civil servant from Lagilagi Housing and Karishma Chaudhry from Kerebula in Nadi, who was 8 months pregnant.

Kiran says one other victim was found severely injured at a flat, while two more women and a man were injured through a stabbing incident in Laucala Beach.

She says productive lives have been extinguished and 6 children have lost the care of their parents and have been emotionally scarred for life this past weekend but each of these incidents were avoidable.

She stresses these are the cases of tragedy we know as each day there are many cases of domestic violence, and most go unreported.

While highlighting a study in Nadi by Dr Lice Soraurau Vaniqi, Kiran says between March to June, 2024 – out of the 345 women who attended the Nadi Maternity Antenatal Clinic and participated in the study, 247 (71.6 percent) women had experienced domestic in their lifetime.

Kiran says 13 percent experienced physical violence during pregnancy – husband or partner was the most common perpetrator of physical violence.

The Minister says there is grief, fear, emotional scarring for life for not only the victim but also other members of the family involved, often children, who witness and suffer from violence with their mothers.

She says we need to change attitudes around domestic violence and break down patriarchal structures around our society.

Kiran says we need men not to be bystanders but allies and call out this behaviour when they see this.

Kiran stresses we as a nation have to commit to zero tolerance for all forms of violence and she is appealing to the Parliament, to faith based leaders, to employers, to family elders to open these conversations and commit to zero tolerance to violence in our homes and communities.

For women who maybe in abusive relationships, Kiran says help is available through the toll free lines 1560 and 1325 that are government funded helplines and managed by Fiji Women’s Crisis.

While responding, Opposition MP Virendra Lal says the cost to the economy to provide health, justice, counselling and other services is significant given the prevalence of violence against women and girls in Fiji.

Lal says the out of pocket costs survivors and their loved ones spend on getting to safety, receiving services, and rebuilding their lives can push survivors into further poverty or economic insecurity.

He says choosing between safety and food is not a choice a survivor should have to make.

The MP says poor nutrition, insufficient access to healthcare and the strain of daily survival are not just personal burdens, they are societal problems that fuel domestic violence and leaders must address these underlying factors.

He adds policies aimed at alleviating financial strains, such as subsidies for essential goods, affordable health care solutions, and job creation are critical to fostering stability in our families and communities and education and support systems to help individuals and families manage stress and build resilience must also be strengthened.