Shania Shayal Prasad 
Concerns over marital rape have reached alarming levels, with more than 700 cases reported between 2016 and 2023.
According to the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, despite legal advancements that now recognize marital rape as a crime, the issue remains deeply rooted in societal and cultural norms.
Coordinator Shamima Ali states that many victims are still too fearful or stigmatized to come forward.
“But one of the things that stop women from advancing is the violence in their lives, particularly in their home life, the coercive control that husbands exert on their wives and emotional violence and all those things.”
Ali stresses the need to recognize violence against women and its harm to society.
“If all of us are able to do that and if all of us, you know, respect women and believe in equality between men and women and the human rights of women, then we can go a long way in curbing this.”
FWCC Counselor Supervisor Elina Cagilaba says they received a significant number of cases involving women in domestic violence situations, including those who are married or in de facto relationships.
“This is also like alarming in the sense that, you know, apart from the hard work that they do looking after children, doing household chores, they get to be forced, you know, to have sex or intercourse.”
FWCC states that the fight against marital rape requires not only legal change but a shift in societal attitudes to ensure every woman’s right to safety and dignity is upheld.
