The trends of violence against women in Fiji is a national shame according to Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya.

Tabuya while responding to a question regarding domestic violence in parliament says Fiji’s trends is 2 in every three women faces some form of violence which is higher than the world average of one in every three women.

She says it is something that the parliament should pursue and support to declare it as a national crisis.

Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya.

“It’s really reached that stage and it’s been number of years that government has tried to tackle this issue including the previous government and of course this is something that has fallen upon the government now. You know it is really worrying in terms of our trend being above the global average.”

Tabuya says the Fiji Country Gender Assessment statistics says that forms of violence that are severe and are prevalent are hitting kicking, dragging, choking, burning or being threatened with a weapon.

According to the statistics, 15 percent of women state that they are attached while pregnant.

“While pregnant, they are being punched or kicked in the abdomen, the proportion of women who have been bitten during pregnancy is significantly higher among younger women so it’s increasing Honorable Speaker.”

The Women’s Minister says in terms of Emotional Violence, six out of ten women are subjected to it whereas most men involve controlling behaviour.

The most common form of sexual intimate partner violence is marital rape.