The Fiji Women’s Crisis Center says as Fiji commemorates World AIDS Day within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the nation must recommit to tackling these dual challenges head-on.

The FWCC in a statement says HIV/AIDS and violence against women and girls are two very serious pandemics that are intertwined.

It says these pandemics spare no region of the world, race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, age, religion, or ability or disability, and understanding the link between the twin pandemics is vital in effectively reaching a substantive reduction and prevention of the AIDS pandemic.

FWCC says women are fighting discrimination in trying to overcome the threat of HIV/AIDS across the world and this is no different for Fiji.

The organizations says Fiji has launched the National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women which recognizes patriarchy or gender inequality as the root cause of violence against women and girls.

It says studies have shown that women who experience violence in their lifetime are more likely to acquire HIV.

It has also shown that women who are living with HIV are at risk of experiencing violence.

According to FWCC National Prevalence Study, 72 percent of women in Fiji experience one or more types of intimate partner violence, physical, sexual, or emotional.

FWCC says men who commit domestic violence often engage in risky sexual behaviors including having multiple sexual partners thus raising the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS

It says because of social gender constructs, women usually have the lesser end of the bargaining power when it comes to decision making in almost every aspect of their lives.

It adds that while condom use remains the most effective low cost prevention method for AIDS/HIV transmission, women in domestic violence relationships usually cannot negotiate for safe sex and contraceptives, and have limited ability to refuse unwanted sex.

It says violence against women and girls must be recognized as a serious human rights violation rather than just a social and health issue.