The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement is calling for comprehensive sexuality education to be made compulsory in all schools across Fiji as part of efforts to address child marriage and protect the rights of young girls.
They say it teaches students about their bodies, reproductive health, safe relationships and how to make informed decisions about their health and future.
Child marriage is illegal in Fiji, with the Marriage Act, as amended in 2009, setting the minimum legal age for marriage at 18.
However, according to 2022 data from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, 9 percent of women aged 20 to 29 in Fiji were married before turning 18, while the figure stood at 12 percent among women aged 20 to 49 in the Northern Division.
The statistics highlight continuing inequalities in access to education, protection and opportunities for women and girls.
FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh says girls have the right to accurate information about their bodies, health and lives.
She stresses that silence and stigma place girls at risk, while education helps protect them.
As part of International Day of the Girl Child, the International Women’s Development Agency has joined FWRM in calling for greater investment in girls’ education to ensure they have the freedom to learn, grow and make decisions about their futures.
