Filipe Naikaso 
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Senior Counsellor Advocate, Ilisapeci Maria, says societal attitudes must change and there should be a comprehensive approach to addressing violence against women and children.
Speaking in support of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, which launched yesterday, Maria highlights that combating domestic violence, rape, and other gender-based violence requires more than just awareness, it requires a change in mindset.
Maria stresses that for lasting change to occur, there must be widespread and accessible training on the elimination of violence.
She says people need to better understand issues such as gender inequality, domestic violence, and the challenges women face.
Maria states people cannot continue to ignore the root causes of violence and its devastating impact on our society.
“Women are actually coming out, not really strongly because they still have this, you know, the gender where women should not come out when we talk about violence. We still find that women are still disempowered. You know, even though we have been having the 16 days of activism, we’re still having the workshops where they’re inviting us to come and talk and we’ve run workshops for five days. We still really see that women are not really coming out strongly with this. They still are having the fear.”
The 16 Days of Activism campaign, which began yesterday and runs until December 10, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about gender-based violence and advocating for change.
In Fiji, the campaign kicked off with marches held in various locations across the country, drawing attention to the urgent need for action to protect women and children from violence.
