While Fiji has strengthened laws and policies, barriers such as distance, cost, culture and limited legal awareness can still prevent women from seeking justice.
Permanent Secretary for Justice and Acting Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Social Protection, Selina Kuruleca, highlighted this at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women currently underway at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the world’s largest global gathering focused on advancing gender equality and improving the lives of women and girls.
Speaking on this year’s theme, Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, Kuruleca said Fiji views justice as essential for women’s rights and national development.
Kuruleca says for Fiji, access to justice is both a human rights obligation and a national development priority.
She also shared that Fiji was also addressing the issue of Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence through the Online Safety Commission, which has reported that women made up nearly 60 percent of complaints in 2025, showing a growing trend around online abuse.
The Permanent Secretary says Fiji remains committed to strengthening its justice systems to better serve women and girls further stating that we are addressing these challenges through expanded legal aid services, community outreach, and national initiatives such as the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls 2023–2028, a whole-of-society framework for prevention, response and social change.
The 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women provides an important platform for Fiji to share progress, learn from global partners and strengthen efforts to ensure justice, safety and equal opportunities for all women and girls.
