Tabuya pleads with other ministries to have a budget to combat online violence

A plea has been made by the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya to other Ministries, including the Ministry of Communications to have a budget line committed for a communications campaign about technology facilitated gender based violence or online violence.

While speaking to fijivillage News after the Commemoration of the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls Phase 1 and Inauguration of Phase 2 at USP, Tabuya says women suffer online violence 10 times more than men.

She says we need to educate our people on the responsible use of social media which is not to be using it to perpetrate online violence against women and girls and hate speech.

While speaking during the panel discussion, Tabuya says violence against Fijian women and girls in all diversity is not merely a series of isolated incidents but rather a reflection of systemic gender inequalities deeply embedded in our society.

She says that one of the key achievements of Phase 1 of the Pacific Partnership has been the national consultation for the development of the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against All Women and Girls (2023-2028), known as the Fiji NAP.

She says the Fiji NAP confirms that the fundamental cause of violence in Fiji is gender inequality and the patriarchal power dynamics in which men dominate women.

Tabuya says these deeply rooted beliefs and social norms—such as the notion that men should be the primary breadwinners, women should handle all domestic duties, leadership roles are for men, and women should be passive and obedient—pervade every aspect of our daily lives and fuel gender-based violence.

She says Fijian women and girls, in all their diversity, can only be truly safe when they stand as equal partners in homes, schools, places of worship, workplaces, sports fields, boardrooms, online spaces, and every corner of our lives.

She further says NAP calls on everyone to unite as a nation, working together to promote gender equality and women's rights and outlines practical and impactful actions based on five key national strategies.

The Minister says these national strategies include transformative public education and social norm change, promoting equal and respectful relationships, providing survivor-centred services for those affected by violence, ensuring coordinated legal protection for survivors, and fostering an equal society.

Tabuya says this crucial policy roadmap demands its effective implementation and the Fiji government is committed and accountable for achieving tangible and substantive results for all Fijian women and girls.